The demographic consequences of migration to, from and within Australia

Prof James Raymer is the First Named Chief Investigator and works on this project with Tom Wilson from The University of Queensland

This study is about understanding the specific contributions made by both international migration and internal (domestic) migration to long-term demographic change. Australia is a country that has experienced considerable amount of demographic change over the past 30 years. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the population increased by 50% from 14.9 million people in 1981 to 22.3 million people in 2011. The overseas-born represented 27% of the total population in 2011, up from 23% ten years earlier. This places Australia in the list of top twenty countries in the world with high percentages of international migrants, and in the list of top five more developed countries. With increased life expectancy and below replacement level fertility occurring over the past 30 years, international migration has clearly played an important role in determining Australia’s population size and composition. Domestic movements of the Australian population have also contributed to population change, especially in determining city growth and rural decline. The aims of this project are (i) to create a complete, consistent and detailed account of population change in Australia for assessing the specific contributions of migration and for studying the dynamic population movements that produced them; and (ii) to develop innovative methods and techniques for overcoming data limitations concerning population change.

For more information visit theproject page.