Population
At the end of June 2024, over 1.1 million people who were born in the United Kingdom were living in Australia. This is 5.5% (67,380) less than at 30 June 2014. This makes it the largest migrant community in Australia, equivalent to:
- 13.4% of Australia's overseas-born population
- 4.2% of Australia's total population.
For Australia's United Kingdom-born migrants:
- Their median age of 59.7 years was 21.4 years above that of the general population.
- Males outnumbered females—50.9% compared with 49.1%.
(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 the United Kingdom 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 | 150 | 33 | 13 | 8 |
Employer Sponsored | 2,967 | 4,324 | 4,500 | 4,650 |
Skilled Independent | 134 | 1,076 | 1,257 | 1,084 |
State/Territory Nominated | 740 | 1,703 | 1,163 | 1,602 |
Regional | 583 | 1,141 | 729 | 521 |
Global Talent (Independent) 2 | 588 | 268 | 152 | 124 |
National Innovation 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 10 |
Partner | 4,027 | 2,535 | 1,835 | 1,852 |
All other categories | 395 | 359 | 267 | 354 |
Total places granted |
9,584 |
11,439 |
9,916 |
10,205 |
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.
The following table shows the number of visa grants to migrants from the United Kingdom, 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 | 160,841 | 460,157 | 479,042 | 530,543 |
Student | 2,488 | 3,006 | 2,437 | 2,514 |
Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) | 6,552 | 10,209 | 11,062 | 11,588 |
Working Holiday Maker | 20,090 | 38,177 | 47,238 | 79,412 |
Other temporary visa grants 1 | 9,780 | 19,610 | 17,203 | 12,722 |
Total temporary visa grants |
199,751 |
531,159 |
556,982 |
636,779 |
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 the United Kingdom 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 | General practitioners and resident medical officers | 1,086 | Registered nurses | 365 |
Human resource professionals | 332 | Police | 306 |
Advertising and marketing professionals | 302 | Carpenters and joiners | 193 |
Management and organisation analysts | 191 | Electricians | 148 |
Advertising, public relations and sales managers | 170 | General practitioners and resident medical officers | 147 |
ICT sales professionals | 150 | Secondary school teachers | 105 |
Mechanical engineering draftspersons and technicians | 147 | Human resource professionals | 99 |
Accountants | 136 | Other medical practitioners | 99 |
Civil engineering professionals | 132 | Advertising and marketing professionals | 94 |
Cafe and restaurant managers | 125 | Plumbers | 84 |
2023–24 | General practitioners and resident medical officers | 932 | Registered nurses | 525 |
Human resource professionals | 372 | Police | 239 |
Advertising and marketing professionals | 318 | Secondary school teachers | 149 |
Registered nurses | 185 | Carpenters and joiners | 135 |
Civil engineering professionals | 179 | General practitioners and resident medical officers | 129 |
Management and organisation analysts | 177 | Other medical practitioners | 104 |
Advertising, public relations and sales managers | 150 | Human resource professionals | 67 |
Motor mechanics | 148 | Primary school teachers | 66 |
Mechanical engineering draftspersons and technicians | 141 | Plumbers | 66 |
Accountants | 116 | Advertising and marketing professionals | 64 |
2022–23 | General practitioners and resident medical officers | 765 | Registered nurses | 480 |
Advertising and marketing professionals | 322 | Carpenters and joiners | 193 |
Human resource professionals | 320 | General practitioners and resident medical officers | 192 |
Civil engineering professionals | 218 | Secondary school teachers | 161 |
Management and organisation analysts | 214 | Electricians | 130 |
Registered nurses | 178 | Other medical practitioners | 112 |
Motor mechanics | 139 | Plumbers | 99 |
Advertising, public relations and sales managers | 134 | Advertising and marketing professionals | 94 |
Cafe and restaurant managers | 124 | Human resource professionals | 92 |
General managers | 115 | Motor mechanics | 90 |
2021–22 | General practitioners and resident medical officers | 629 | Registered nurses | 217 |
Human resource professionals | 264 | General practitioners and resident medical officers | 124 |
Advertising and marketing professionals | 246 | Accountants | 119 |
Registered nurses | 133 | Management and organisation analysts | 82 |
Management and organisation analysts | 114 | Civil engineering professionals | 72 |
Advertising, public relations and sales managers | 101 | Motor mechanics | 68 |
Other medical practitioners | 91 | Carpenters and joiners | 66 |
Accountants | 87 | Chefs | 63 |
Auditors, company secretaries and corporate treasurers | 87 | Other medical practitioners | 58 |
ICT sales professionals | 86 | ICT business and systems analysts | 51 |
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 United Kingdom-born | 25 | 19 | 20 | 10 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Permanent additions - 2024–25 (%) |
Skill stream | 26 | 17 | 19 | 6 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Family stream | 30 | 21 | 21 | 4 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Temporary visa grants - 2024–25 (%) |
International student visa grants | 29 | 25 | 17 | 5 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visa (primary) grants | 40 | 19 | 17 | 3 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
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 migration from the United Kingdom 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 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Regional | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
Employer Sponsored | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Total Skill stream | 4 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
Total Family and Child stream | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
International students | 21 | 29 | 30 | 29 |
Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visa | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Visitors | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
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.
