About one-third of the population of each of our large cities was born overseas. Migrants from certain countries tend to be attracted to certain Australian states and territories more than others (see TABLE1 ).
TABLE1 Top five countries of birth by state or territory in 2021 ACT NSW NT Qld SA
Tas.
Vic.
WA
Australia 317600
Australia 5586710
Australia 188910
Australia 3952050 New Zealand 229920 England 201750
Australia 1350180 England 98770
Australia 474920 England 20420
Australia 4475230
Australia 1810460 England 211730 New Zealand 85590
India 17510
China 261330
Philippines 7320
India 272250
England 13410
England 240530
India 5860
India 47190
China 7440
China 182140
China 12720 Nepal 5690
India 219230 New Zealand 128460
England 5790 New Zealand 4840
India 76870 China 60350
China 27470
India 6530 Nepal 6480
England 181440 New Zealand 108640
India 66550 South Africa 49300
Vietnam 18150
Source: ABS2024
15.3.5 Why have people migrated to Australia? Australia is a land of migrants . In a way, all non-Indigenous Australians are migrants — at some stage in the past, perhaps as long ago as European settlement, our ancestors came to this country to live. In 2021, nearly one-third of Australia’s population was born overseas. Since the earliest times, people have moved from one part of the world to another in search of places to live. Migrants have come to Australia for many reasons (see FIGURE6 ). In addition, Australia is interconnected to Asia, particularly through trade and geographic proximity. This makes Australia appealing as a destination country for migrants from China, India, Vietnam and other Asian countries. The shared historical connections and/or common language may increase the appeal of Australia as a destination country for migrants from other English- speaking countries, such as England and New Zealand. 15.3.6 What are the effects of international migration to Australia? International migration to Australia has significant social, economic and cultural effects, shaping the country’s demographic landscape and influencing its growth and development. Social effects Migration has greatly increased Australia’s population, growing from 7 million after World War II to over 27 million now. This growth is due to both migrants arriving and higher birth rates. Migrants have enriched Australian society, culture and economy. Many communities organise festivals and share their foods, languages, music, customs, art and dance. Australia is very multicultural, with people from over 200 countries. It’s important to respect and support everyone’s right to their own culture, language and religion.
430 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 8 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator