Population
At the end of June 2024, 120,160 Indonesian-born people were living in Australia. This is 59.4% more than the number (75,400) at 30 June 2014. This is the 14th largest migrant community in Australia, equivalent to:
- 1.4% of Australia's overseas-born population
- 0.4% of Australia's total population.
For Australia's Indonesian-born migrants:
- The median age of 37.3 years was 1.0 years below that of the general population.
- Females outnumbered males—56.9% compared with 43.1%.
(Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia’s Population by Country of Birth)
Permanent migration
Australia's permanent Migration Program comprises economic and family migration and is the main pathway to permanent residence. The only other way to obtain permanent residence is on humanitarian grounds.
Find out more about
permanent migration.
This table shows the size of permanent migration from Indonesia by migration category.
Table 1: Permanent migrant places granted, 2021–22 to 2024–25
Migration category |
2021–22 |
2022–23 |
2023–24 |
2024–25 |
Business Innovation and Investment 1 | 116 | 15 | 8 | 0 |
Employer Sponsored | 218 | 306 | 297 | 330 |
Skilled Independent | 25 | 163 | 213 | 169 |
State/Territory Nominated | 171 | 192 | 189 | 255 |
Regional | 109 | 138 | 161 | 155 |
Global Talent (Independent) 2 | 37 | 34 | 21 | 22 |
National Innovation 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 0 |
Partner | 1,159 | 899 | 845 | 852 |
All other categories | 131 | 156 | 105 | 196 |
Total places granted |
1,966 |
1,903 |
1,839 |
1,979 |
Source: Department of Home Affairs
1We closed the Business Innovation and Investment Program to new applications on 31 July 2024.
2We closed the Global Talent visa to new applications on 6 December 2024.We replaced this with the National Innovation visa.
3The National Innovation visa came into effect on 7 December 2024.
Temporary migration
People can come to Australia for a temporary stay for a range of purposes that may include tourism, study and short-term work.
Find out more about temporary migration.
This table shows the number of visa grants to migrants from Indonesia for Visitor, Student, Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) and Working Holiday Maker visas.
Table 2: Temporary visas granted by selected categories, 2021–22 to 2024–25
Temporary visa category |
2021–22 |
2022–23 |
2023–24 |
2024–25 |
Visitor | 32,106 | 116,912 | 93,556 | 96,785 |
Student | 7,789 | 14,765 | 10,251 | 11,103 |
Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) | 779 | 1,129 | 1,228 | 1,939 |
Working Holiday Maker | 1,352 | 8,127 | 9,016 | 13,574 |
Other temporary visa grants 1 | 2,636 | 8,355 | 5,943 | 5,080 |
Total temporary visa grants |
44,662 |
149,288 |
119,994 |
128,481 |
Source: Department of Home Affairs
1Excludes Transit visa (subclass 771), Border visa (subclass 773) and Maritime Crew visa (subclass 988).
Main occupations
This table shows the main occupations for nationals of Indonesia, based on Skill stream migration outcomes and Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visa grants.
Table 3: Main occupations, 2021–22 to 2024–25
Period |
Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visas |
No. of migrants |
Skill stream migration |
No. of migrants |
2024–25 | Chefs | 268 | Chefs | 59 |
Cafe and restaurant managers | 72 | Early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers | 50 |
Mechanical engineering draftspersons and technicians | 62 | Accountants | 44 |
Cooks | 52 | Software and applications programmers | 34 |
Accountants | 50 | Architects and landscape architects | 25 |
Metal fitters and machinists | 47 | Civil engineering professionals | 21 |
Advertising and marketing professionals | 33 | Chemical and materials engineers | 19 |
Bakers and pastrycooks | 33 | Child carers | 16 |
Software and applications programmers | 28 | Registered nurses | 15 |
Motor mechanics | 22 | Mining engineers | 13 |
2023–24 | Chefs | 142 | Chefs | 115 |
Mechanical engineering draftspersons and technicians | 69 | Accountants | 45 |
Cooks | 37 | Early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers | 44 |
Deck and fishing hands | 34 | Software and applications programmers | 37 |
Motor mechanics | 24 | Registered nurses | 28 |
Accountants | 22 | Civil engineering professionals | 15 |
Cafe and restaurant managers | 21 | Industrial, mechanical and production engineers | 15 |
Metal fitters and machinists | 21 | Other engineering professionals | 14 |
Civil engineering professionals | 17 | ICT business and systems analysts | 13 |
Software and applications programmers | 17 | Cooks | 12 |
2022–23 | Chefs | 152 | Early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers | 66 |
Deck and fishing hands | 47 | Chefs | 60 |
Mechanical engineering draftspersons and technicians | 33 | Accountants | 40 |
Software and applications programmers | 30 | Registered nurses | 36 |
Accountants | 23 | Software and applications programmers | 28 |
Cooks | 22 | Cafe and restaurant managers | 19 |
Motor mechanics | 20 | Cooks | 17 |
Advertising and marketing professionals | 19 | ICT business and systems analysts | 16 |
ICT business and systems analysts | 17 | Secondary school teachers | 15 |
Cafe and restaurant managers | 16 | General practitioners and resident medical officers | 13 |
2021–22 | Chefs | 106 | Chefs | 55 |
Deck and fishing hands | 51 | Accountants | 50 |
Accountants | 33 | Software and applications programmers | 24 |
Mechanical engineering draftspersons and technicians | 29 | Early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers | 20 |
Software and applications programmers | 27 | Registered nurses | 19 |
Auditors, company secretaries and corporate treasurers | 12 | Cooks | 16 |
Mining engineers | 11 | Civil engineering professionals | 14 |
ICT business and systems analysts | 10 | Cafe and restaurant managers | 12 |
Cooks | 10 | Auditors, company secretaries and corporate treasurers | 10 |
Cafe and restaurant managers | 8 | General practitioners and resident medical officers | 9 |
Source: Department of Home Affairs
Note: Occupation level information is available for primary applicants only. It is based on Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations at the unit level.
Geographic distribution
This table shows where migrants reside by state and territory, based on:
- 2021 Census
- permanent additions, for the Skill and Family streams
- visa grants for:
- international students
- Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visa primary applicants.
Table 4: Geographic distribution by state and territory
Population |
NSW |
Vic |
Qld |
SA |
WA |
Tas |
NT |
ACT |
Census 2021 (%) |
Of all persons | 32 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Of Indonesian-born | 44 | 24 | 10 | 3 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Permanent additions - 2024–25 (%) |
Skill stream | 29 | 23 | 12 | 5 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
Family stream | 35 | 27 | 13 | 3 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Temporary visa grants - 2024–25 (%) |
International student visa grants | 37 | 37 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visa (primary) grants | 46 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics and Department of Home Affairs
Note: Permanent additions consist of 2 components:
- people who, while already in Australia on a temporary basis, are granted permanent residence status
- people who have subsequently arrived from overseas during the reporting period and are entitled to stay permanently in Australia.
Country ranking
This table uses rankings to show the significance of Indonesian migration for the past 4 financial years.
Table 5: Country ranking, 2021–22 to 2024–25
Ranked position of migrants |
2021–22 |
2022–23 |
2023–24 |
2024–25 |
Population in Australia 1 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 14 |
Regional | 23 | 25 | 22 | 24 |
Employer Sponsored | 23 | 21 | 19 | 22 |
Total Skill stream | 22 | 27 | 26 | 25 |
Total Family and Child stream | 9 | 10 | 12 | 12 |
International students | 8 | 11 | 8 | 8 |
Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visa | 17 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
Visitors | 9 | 9 | 16 | 15 |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics and Department of Home Affairs
1Population level data is by country of birth and lags one year behind the financial year specified. Data based on the estimated residential population at 30 June 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
