• Australia’s fertility rate of 1.78 children per woman is high by OECD standards. Despite it being below the replacement rate of 2.08, the demographic lag-time means natural increase (births minus deaths) will remain positive for another three decades.
• Australia’s population was 20.3 million in March 2005 with an annual growth rate of 1.1%. The population grew 230,300 in the year ending March 2005. Natural increase accounted for 52%, or 121,300, of the growth and net overseas migration (immigration minus emigration) accounted for 48% or 110,000¹. Approximately two babies are born and one immigrant arrives for every Australian who dies or emigrates.
• According to the United Nations Population Fund, Australia will have a population of 27.9 million in 2050².
• Australia, however, will take an extra 20,000 skilled migrants in 2005-06. Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone said in April 2005 that between 130,000 and 140,000 non-humanitarian migrants would be taken, with a skilled migrant component of 97,500, the highest level of skilled migration ever³.
• As at 30 June 2004, it was estimated that some 51,000 people were unlawfully in Australia, a large proportion of which are working illegally. In addition, some people lawfully in Australia are working in breach of their visa conditions⁴.
• Australia's official migration program fails to take into account the large number of New Zealanders coming to Australia freely under the Trans-Tasman agreement (net gain of 30,000 in 1999-2000)⁵.
• At the end of 2001, there were 858,886 Australian citizens living overseas long-term and another 264,955 shorter-term ‘visiting citizens’. None of these were identified in the census²⁶. All of these citizens have the right to return home should they wish to and indeed they might should the situation overseas become difficult.

^References

^{1. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Demographic Statistics, March quarter 2005 (cat. no. 3101.0).}

^{2. UNFPA. State of the World Population Report 2005: The promise of equality. p.114.}

^{3. http://www.workpermit.com/news/2005_04_14/australia/australia_takes_more_skilled_immigrants.htm}

^{4. http://www.immi.gov.au/facts/87illegal.htm}

^{5. DIMIA. 2002-03 Migration and Humanitarian Programs - discussion paper (rev.ed.Jan 02) p11.}

^{6. Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee. Report “They still call Australia home: report on Australian expatriates”. Chap 3. March 2005. http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/ legcon_ctte/expats03/report/c03.pdf}