Immigrants moving to Australia boosts population

July 23 2009 by Mark Johnstone

Clean cities tempt the move to Australia

The Australian immigration boom will raise the population to 22 million by the end of 2009, according to new research.

In 2008, a record 406,083 people made the move to Australia, says McCrindle Research. The research shows there may be as many as 44 million people living in Australia by 2050 if the population continues to grow at the same rate.

Two-thirds of the population growth last year was through permanent migration into the country, with more people than ever wanting to move to Australia to take advantage of the warm climate, clean environment and good employment opportunities.

In addition to the increase in Australian immigration numbers, fewer citizens moved away from Australia during 2008. This was partly due to the fact that this type of migration is often a result of moving to new employment abroad. The recession has been to blame for fewer Australians finding work abroad.

The McCrindle study also concludes that Australians living abroad may have decided make the move back to Australia to live and work, taking advantage of better employment opportunities and economic stability.

The predictions for population increases, especially with regard to Australian immigration, highlights the importance of investment in services and infrastructure to support the influx of immigrants.

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