Perth, April 29: For the first time in Australian history, more residents were born in India than in England, with the shift partly driven by a steady decline in Australia’s British-born population, according to new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
People born in England recorded one of the largest population decreases since 2015, alongside those born in Italy.
Both groups had a median age of 60 or over, reflecting the high levels of post-World War II migration to Australia from these countries that is now ageing out of the population.
India narrowly overtook England in 2025 to become the top overseas country of birth, with both populations sitting at around 971,000 people.
People born in India recorded the largest increase since 2015, growing by 522,000 people.
The annual update showed that Australia had 8.8 million overseas-born residents in 2025, compared to 18.8 million people born in Australia, with overseas-born residents now making up 32% of the country’s overall Estimated Resident Population of 27.6 million.
This proportion is approaching the highest on record, set at 32.4% in 1891.
India, England, China, New Zealand and the Philippines now make up the top five most common countries of birth for Australians born overseas.
The median age for Australia’s overseas-born population was 43 in 2025, down from 46 in 2005, while the median age for Australian-born residents was 35, up from 33 in 2005.
People born in Latvia were the oldest population group with a median age of 80, while people born in Qatar formed the youngest group with a median age of 15.
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