Indians become Australia’s largest migrant group for the first time, overtaking England

Indians have become the largest migrant group in Australia for the first time, overtaking those born in England, according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The figures show the Indian-born population has reached 971,020, slightly higher than the 970,950 residents born in England.

The change reflects a shift in Australia’s migration pattern as the share of overseas-born residents in the country has risen to 32% in 2025, the highest level recorded since 1891.

ABS data shows Australia had 8.8 million overseas-born residents in 2025, compared to 18.8 million people born in the country. The Indian-born population has increased by 522,000 since 2015, making it the fastest-growing major migrant group.


England-born residents are now the second-largest group, followed by China with 732,000 people, New Zealand with 638,000, and the Philippines with 412,530.

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The ABS said the current share of overseas-born residents is close to the record 32.4% seen in 1891. The overseas-born population grew by 258,000 in 2024-25, helping push Australia’s total population to 27.6 million.

The data comes as migration has become a key political issue. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor recently proposed stricter migration rules and said, “declining immigration standards have seen our door opened to too many migrants of transactional intent”. Government ministers have criticised the proposal and accused him of trying to “compete” with One Nation.

The figures also highlight differences across regions. KPMG urban economist Terry Rawnsley said, “In NSW, China-born is No.1. In Victoria, Indian-born residents are the largest migrant group; in Queensland, it’s New Zealand-born residents that hold sway, and Western Australia has a strong concentration of Maltese communities.”

Western Australia recorded the highest share of overseas-born residents at 34.1%, followed by Victoria at 31.7% and New South Wales at 31%.

The data also shows changing age patterns among migrant groups. Rawnsley said, “In contrast, today’s largest migrant communities are more likely to be in their 30s and 40s, with the exception of the English-born population, which has a median age closer to 60.”

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The median age of India-born residents is 36.1 years, compared with 39.9 years for China-born and 29.6 years for Nepal-born residents. Older migrant groups, including those from Italy and England, have seen population declines since 2015. The ABS said, “Both groups had a median age of 60 or over – reflecting the high levels of migration to Australia from these countries after World War II.”

Historically, the share of overseas-born residents fell to 9.8% in 1947 before rising again during the post-war migration wave in the 1950s and 1960s.