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About Sydney and NSW > People, skills and education

Settler Arrivals

Australia is one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse populations in the world. In 2007-08, 59% of Australia's population growth came from net overseas migration. Of all migrants in 2007-08, 29% indicated that New South Wales was their intended State of residence.

New South Wales attracts particularly large numbers of Asian migrants. In 2007-08, 36% of all settler arrivals in Australia from Asia chose to live in New South Wales, making up 50% of all settler arrivals to the State.

New South Wales also attracts significant numbers of settlers from the Middle East and North Africa, while traditional sources of migrants such as New Zealand, the United Kingdom and South Africa remain strong.


Settler arrivals by birthplace and state of intended residence, 2007-08 (1)

Region of Birth NSW VIC QLD SA WA Other States/ Territories (2) Australia NSW as % of total
South East Asia: 6,422 6,751 2,824 1,117 3,323 727 21,164 30.3
Philippines 2,248 1,717 1,070 372 488 217 6,112 36.8
Vietnam 1,076 1,000 228 145 179 57 2,685 40.1
Indonesia 733 373 180 56 375 71 1,788 41.0
Malaysia 647 1,215 500 191 896 73 3,522 18.4
Thailand 641 696 380 83 368 110 2,278 28.1
Singapore 353 512 211 88 593 58 1,815 19.4
Other 724 1,238 255 182 424 141 2,964 24.4
 
North East Asia: 7,674 5,598 1,965 1,419 947 379 17,982 42.7
China  5,612 4,568 846 1,060 612 261 12,959 43.3
Korea 1,289 470 425 229 106 55 2,574 50.1
Hong Kong SAR 346 264 125 42 79 17 873 39.6
Taiwan 207 133 314 37 44 11 746 27.7
Japan 206 158 252 50 95 35 796 25.9
Other 14 5 3 1 11 0 34 41.2
 
Southern Asia: 7,640 8,356 1,771 2,029 1,822 511 22,129 34.5
India 5,188 5,577 1,228 1,657 1,361 327 15,338 33.8
Other 2,452 2,779 543 372 461 184 6,791 36.1
 
Middle East and North Africa (3) 4,017 2,386 604 359 717 194 8,277 48.5
 
Other: 17,767 14,122 25,332 4,972 15,929 1,691 79,813 22.3
New Zealand 5,233 4,786 13,009 508 3,710 355 27,601 19.0
United Kingdom 4,034 3,189 5,954 2,451 7,125 483 23,236 17.4
South Africa 1,070 711 1,570 245 1,483 87 5,166 20.7
United States 548 329 321 85 132 52 1,467 37.4
Other (4) 6,882 5,107 4,478 1,683 3,479 714 22,343 30.8
 
Total settlers 43,520 37,213 32,496 9,896 22,738 3,502 149,365 29.1


Footnotes:
1: Settler, or permanent, arrivals comprise persons arriving in Australia who hold permanent visas, regardless of stated intended period of stay, New Zealand citizens who indicate an intention to settle, and those who are otherwise eligible to settle (e.g. overseas-born children of Australian citizens). Settler arrivals do not represent a net increase in resident population, as they do not take account of permanent departures over the corresponding period. Settler arrivals data are based on the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs' Travel and Immigration Processing System (TRIPS) and supplemented by Incoming Passenger Card information completed by persons arriving in Australia.
2: Includes Territory of Christmas Island, Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Jervis Bay.
3: Includes Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan, Syria and Turkey
4: The largest contributions to New South Wales in this category came from Fiji, Afghanistan, Ireland and Sierra Leone.

Source: Commonwealth Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Immigration Update 2007-08