Most migrant Australians live in major urban centers, primarily Sydney and Melbourne, which attract the highest numbers of new arrivals, followed by other capitals like Perth and Brisbane, with the largest groups often coming from countries like India, China, the Philippines, and the UK. This trend of concentrating in large cities, especially Sydney and Melbourne, has been consistent for decades, with these areas absorbing the bulk of both permanent and temporary migrants, as seen in ABS data.
Melbourne was dominant in the early post-war decades both in terms of population growth and in receiving overseas-born settlers, but since 1976 Sydney has been the major focus of settlement for immigrants.
Countries by Australian diaspora
In 2023, most of the nation's 51.8 million immigrants lived in just four states. California was home to 11.3 million immigrants, or 28.4% of the national total. Texas had the second-largest immigrant population with over 6 million foreign-born residents, followed by Florida (5.4 million) and New York (5.0 million).
NSW had the highest level of net overseas migration with 186,433 people arriving, followed by Victoria (161,758) and Queensland (87,954). The Northern Territory had the lowest level with 3,189 people.
Accommodation is usually provided for free, although people seeking asylum who have some form of income pay a small amount of rent to contribute to the running costs of the program. The 'Safe Place' program has provided stable accommodation to hundreds of people seeking asylum who may otherwise have faced homelessness.
The top countries migrating to Australia consistently include India, China, and the Philippines, often followed by nations like the United Kingdom, Nepal, and New Zealand, with India frequently leading in recent skilled migration streams and overall population increase, while the UK historically contributes significantly to the total foreign-born population. Recent trends show strong growth from India, China, Philippines, and Nepal in skilled visas and population influx.
Mexico is the leading source country of undocumented immigration to the United States.
No, Australia is not 90% white; while a large majority identify with European ancestry (around 76-80% in recent years), a significant and growing portion identifies as Asian, African, Middle Eastern, or Indigenous, making it a highly multicultural nation with diverse ethnic backgrounds, not overwhelmingly white. Recent census data shows European ancestry (English, Irish, etc.) makes up a large chunk, but Asian ancestries are also substantial, with over 17% Asian population and around 3.8% identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, per the 2021 census data from Wikipedia.
Hobart, Tasmania, is widely recognized as the cheapest major city, but smaller regional towns in Queensland and South Australia can offer even lower living costs.
While exact real-time figures vary, estimates from around 2025 suggest approximately 400,000 to over 500,000 Australians held over $1 million in superannuation, with about 2.5% of the population reaching this milestone as of mid-2021, a figure that has likely grown with strong investment returns, though many more hold significant balances and millions are projected to reach this goal by retirement, especially men.
It's official! Adelaide is the happiest city in Australia, and one of the happiest in the world! 🙌 We ranked #29 globally in the Happy City Index across six categories - environment, economy, mobility, citizen wellbeing, health and governance.
Yes, $100k is generally considered a strong salary in Australia, placing you above the average (which hovers around $90k-$108k for full-time, but median is lower) and allowing for a comfortable life, though its impact depends heavily on location (major city vs. regional) and personal expenses like housing and dependents, as high living costs in cities like Sydney can stretch this income further than in regional areas.
The latter, in effect, is an adjustment to the former to incorporate the 12/16 rule, whereby an arrival counts as an overseas migrant arrival if the person stays in Australia for 12 of the following 16 months.
By contrast, there are at least 20 million Bangladeshi illegal immigrants (20–40 times more) living in India, making India the country with the largest number of illegal immigrants in the world.
The illegal migration of people into the United States across the Mexico-United States border has caused an ongoing migrant crisis. U.S. presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump both referred to surges in migrants at the border as a "crisis" during their tenure.
U.S. is Still Home to the Most Migrants
By total population, the U.S. recorded the highest number of international migrants in 2024 at 52.4 million.
The empirical analysis is based on secondary data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Migration Policy Institute, which show that recent waves of immigrants resulted in an increase in the Hispanic and Asian populations, which became the fastest growing racial/ethnic groups in the U.S. We conclude by showing that the ...
While Australia doesn't ask about "race," the 2021 Census shows a large European ancestry: 57.2% reported European ancestry, with English (33%), Australian (29.9%), Irish (9.5%), and Scottish (8.6%) being the most common, indicating a significant "white" population, though many identify with multiple backgrounds, making exact percentages complex.
Is it cheaper to live in Australia or America? It depends on where you're comparing. Major U.S. cities like New York or San Francisco are typically more expensive than Sydney or Melbourne, but overall living costs—especially groceries and housing—can be higher in Australia due to import prices and taxes.