Chinese influx as Aussies hit 25m

CHINESE-BORN people are now the nation’s secondbiggest migrant group, edging out New Zealanders for the first time, says a new report.

A surge in Chinese arrivals in recent years saw their number rise to 606,450 as of mid-2017 – up 220,000 compared with the same time in 2011.

While there were marginally more New Zealanders than Chinese in 2016, Chinese arrivals are now the second-largest migrant group, behind the English who number 997,830, according to the latest demographic report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The report shows that Australia’s population at September 30, 2018, was 25.1 million, up 1.5 per cent over the year. Net overseas migration of 240,100 comprised 61 per cent of the growth, but was lower than the net migration of 259,400 recorded in the previous year.

The English-born community has decreased slightly in recent years as new arrivals fail to keep pace with the death of older members and those leaving Australia.

Another fast-rising migrant group is the Indian-born, which grew from 337,120 in 2011 to 537,780 in 2017.

The next biggest groups are Filipinos (265,800), Vietnamese (250,490), Italians (191,510) and South Africans (185,390).

The Greece-born and Germany-born, who came in big numbers in the post-war migrant boom, lost about 10,000 members each between 2011 and 2017.

ABS demography director Anthony Grubb said that 395,100 people were added to the population in the year ending September 2018, compared to 407,000 people in the year before.

“The growth rates varied across the states and territories. Victoria continued to have the fastest growth at 2.2 per cent. New South Wales grew by 1.5 per cent and reached 8 million people,” he said.

This week, the Morrison Government announced a 30,000 cut to the permanent migration program, and new visas to force skilled workers to live in regional areas.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton yesterday said he hoped the policy would help save “dying” country towns.

“Hopefully it will release a bit of pressure from congestion, accommodation and all of the other services in the capital cities,” he said yesterday.

Population growth and rising congestion have become key election issues.

THE GROWTH RATES VARIED. VICTORIA CONTINUED TO HAVE THE FASTEST GROWTH (AND) NSW REACHED 8 MILLION ANTHONY GRUBB