Indians. As of 2023, people born in India are the largest immigrant group in Australia, overtaking England for the first time in the country's recorded history. That is a significant shift in a country that spent most of its existence drawing the bulk of its overseas-born population from Britain.
Here is what the data shows, why it happened, and what the broader picture of immigration to Australia looks like right now.
How Many Immigrants Live in Australia Today?
Australia's population sits at around 26.5 million people. Of those, approximately 8.3 million were born overseas, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census and updated estimates through 2023. That is roughly 31 percent of the total population born outside Australia, one of the highest proportions of any country in the world.
For context, the United States sits around 14 percent. Canada is around 23 percent. Australia's overseas-born share has grown steadily for decades and shows no sign of reversing.
Who Are the Largest Immigrant Group in Australia?
India. The 2023 ABS data confirmed that India-born residents numbered approximately 800,000, edging past England-born residents for the first time. The top five countries of birth for overseas-born Australians are:
- India
- England
- China (excluding Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan)
- New Zealand
- Philippines
This list has reshuffled considerably over the past two decades. England held the top spot for most of Australia's post-war immigration history. New Zealand and China have been consistent fixtures. The Philippines has climbed steadily, driven largely by skilled migration and aged care sector demand.
When Did India Overtake England as Australia's Top Immigrant Source?
The crossover happened around 2022 to 2023. The 2021 Census still showed England marginally ahead, but post-pandemic migration flows accelerated the shift. India-born arrivals surged as international students converted to permanent residency, skilled worker visas processed backlogs, and family reunion streams continued at pace.
In my reading of the historical data, this was not a sudden event. India had been closing the gap since the mid-2000s. The pandemic pause in migration actually compressed the timeline because England-born arrivals did not recover at the same rate as Indian arrivals once borders reopened.
Which Country Sends the Most Immigrants to Australia?
India sends the most immigrants to Australia right now. In the 2022-23 financial year, India was the top source country for permanent migration, contributing around 25 percent of the total permanent migration program intake. That figure comes from the Department of Home Affairs Migration Program Report 2022-23.
China was second, followed by the Philippines, Nepal, and Pakistan. England does not feature in the top five for new arrivals anymore, though the England-born population in Australia remains large because of historical accumulation over decades.
Why Do So Many Indians Immigrate to Australia?
Three things drive it consistently: education, English language, and the points-based skilled migration system.
Education
Australia has eight of the world's top 100 universities according to the QS World University Rankings. Indian students arrive for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, and a large proportion transition to graduate visas and then permanent residency. What I found in looking at the data is that the student-to-permanent-resident pipeline is the single biggest structural driver of Indian immigration to Australia.
In 2022-23, international students from India numbered over 100,000 enrolled in Australian institutions. Many of those students are on a pathway, not just a degree.
English Language
India produces a large population of English-proficient graduates. Australia's skilled migration points test rewards English ability heavily. An Indian applicant with strong English scores, a relevant qualification, and work experience can accumulate enough points to receive an invitation to apply for permanent residency within a competitive timeframe.
The Points System Rewards Indian Applicants
Australia's General Skilled Migration program uses a points-based system called SkillSelect. Age, English, qualifications, and work experience all generate points. Indian applicants in their late 20s and early 30s, with IT, engineering, accounting, or healthcare qualifications, consistently score well. The occupations in demand in Australia align closely with what Indian universities produce at scale.
In my experience reviewing migration data, this is not coincidence. Australia's skills shortage list and India's graduate output have been converging for 15 years.
Diaspora Networks
Once a community reaches a certain size, it becomes self-reinforcing. Australia's Indian community now has established networks in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth. Those networks reduce the friction of migration. People move where they have family, community, and cultural infrastructure. Melbourne's Indian community in particular has grown into one of the most established in the country.
What Are the Top 5 Countries of Birth for Immigrants in Australia?
Based on ABS 2021 Census data and 2023 estimates:
- India — approximately 800,000 residents
- England — approximately 780,000 residents
- China — approximately 650,000 residents
- New Zealand — approximately 570,000 residents
- Philippines — approximately 310,000 residents
Vietnam, South Africa, Italy, and Sri Lanka follow in the next tier. The Italian and Greek communities, large from the post-war migration waves of the 1950s and 1960s, have aged and their numbers have declined through natural attrition. The South Asian and Southeast Asian communities are younger and growing.
How Has Australia's Immigrant Makeup Changed Over Time?
The shift is generational. Post-World War Two, Australia ran the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme, which brought hundreds of thousands of British migrants at subsidised fares. The phrase "Ten Pound Poms" came from this era. British and European migrants dominated the overseas-born population through the 1950s, 1960s, and into the 1970s.
The abolition of the White Australia Policy through the late 1960s and early 1970s opened migration to Asia and the broader world. Vietnamese arrivals came in large numbers after 1975. Chinese migration grew through the 1980s and 1990s. Indian migration accelerated from the early 2000s onward, driven by the IT boom and Australia's expanding university sector.
What I saw when tracing this history is that each wave reflects the economic conditions and policy settings of its time. The current Indian-led wave reflects a deliberate policy choice to fill skills shortages through a points-based system that happens to select heavily from India's graduate population.
Where Do Most Immigrants in Australia Live?
Sydney and Melbourne take the largest share. The 2021 Census showed:
- Greater Sydney — around 45 percent of residents born overseas
- Greater Melbourne — around 40 percent of residents born overseas
- Perth — around 35 percent
- Brisbane — around 28 percent
Melbourne's western and northern suburbs have become the primary settlement zones for Indian and South Asian communities. Suburbs like Tarneit, Craigieburn, and Hoppers Crossing have seen rapid population growth driven largely by new migrant families. The infrastructure demand in these corridors, including public transport, has grown accordingly.
FAQ
Who are the no. 1 immigrants in Australia right now?
India-born residents are the largest overseas-born group in Australia as of 2023, with approximately 800,000 people.
Has India always been the top source of immigrants to Australia?
No. England held that position for most of Australia's post-war history. India overtook England around 2022 to 2023.
How many people in Australia were born overseas?
Around 8.3 million people, which is approximately 31 percent of the total population.
Why does Australia take so many skilled migrants from India?
Australia's points-based migration system rewards English proficiency, relevant qualifications, and work experience. Indian graduates in IT, engineering, healthcare, and accounting consistently score well under this system.
Is China still a major source of immigrants to Australia?
Yes. China-born residents number around 650,000 and China remains in the top three source countries, though new arrivals from China have slowed compared to the peak years of the 2010s.
Which city in Australia has the most immigrants?
Sydney has the highest absolute number, but Melbourne has seen faster growth in its overseas-born population over the past decade, particularly from South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The Bigger Picture
Australia's immigration story has always been shaped by policy, economics, and geography. The current dominance of Indian-born migrants in the who are the no. 1 immigrants in Australia question is the product of deliberate skills-based policy settings, a large English-speaking graduate population in India, and two decades of compounding diaspora growth.
The England-born community is not disappearing. It is simply not growing at the same rate. The historical accumulation of British migrants from the assisted passage era means England will remain in the top two for years. But the trajectory is clear. South Asia, and India in particular, now drives Australia's immigration intake in a way that would have been unrecognisable to policymakers in 1970.
For a city like Melbourne, this matters practically. Transport networks, housing corridors, school enrolments, and community services all respond to where people settle and what they need. The data is not just demographic trivia. It shapes how cities grow and what infrastructure gets built.