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Asian Immigration: The Demographic Impact
Adrienne Millbank
Social Policy Group
Asian immigration
The shift in source countries, from the UK to Europe in the 1950s and
60s and to Asia from the late 1970s, has been one of the most significant
features of Australia's immigration program. 'Asia'(1) comprises a wider
and more diverse range of countries, languages and cultures than does
Europe. The Asian proportion of the program has increased rapidly following
the arrival of large numbers of Indochinese after the end of the Vietnam
War, and source countries have become more diverse, while the proportion
of migrants from the UK and Europe has declined.
Settler arrivals: Top 6 source countries, 1965-66 and 1995-96(2)
1965-66 No. %
UK & Ireland 74,749 51.9
Greece 15,153 10.5
Italy 11,420 7.9
Yugoslavia 8,081 5.6
Malta 4,298 3.0
Germany 3,751 2.6
1995-96 No. %
New Zealand 12,265 12.4
United Kingdom 11,268 11.4
China 11,247 11.3
Hong Kong 4,361 4.4
India 3,700 3.7
Vietnam 3,567 3.6
By 1985-86, Asians comprised 35 per cent of all settler arrivals. Since
the early 1990s Asians have comprised about 40 per cent of all settler
arrivals and over half of our net permanent gain.(3) In terms of net permanent
gain, in 1995-96 China (at 15 per cent) was the top source country, followed
by the UK (11) and New Zealand (9 per cent).(2)
Proportion of net permanent gain from NE, SE & S Asia, 1990-91 to
1995-96(2)
Year %
1990-91 65.3
1991-92 66.5
1992-93 62.7
1993-94 59.4
1994-95 48.7
1995-96 51.6
Asians from Northeast and Southeast Asia have been especially represented
in the business, humanitarian and family migration categories. Business
and professional migrants from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan
and Indonesia are in general English-speaking, more highly qualified than
the Australian average, in professional or managerial positions and earning
above average incomes. Humanitarian and family migrants, who have come
from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, and more recently from Mainland China,
have often lacked transferable work skills, been non-English speaking
and experienced periods of unemployment. Migrants from South Asia (India
and Sri Lanka) have in general been English-speaking and middle class,
with a balance between skilled and family migration.(4)
The demographic impact
Australia's population has been changed by immigration more than that
of any comparable country: 23 per cent of Australia's population is overseas-born,
compared with 15 per cent of Canada's and 9 per cent of the USA's. Forty
per cent of the Australian population are migrants or have parents who
were migrants. As at June 1995, 4.8 per cent of the estimated resident
population was born in an Asian country, and with their Australian-born
children, first and second generation 'Asians' comprised about 6 per cent
of the population.
Asia-born resident population: Top 10 source countries, 1995(2)
Total % of
Birthplace population overseas-
born
Vietnam 146,600 3.6
China 92,700 2.2
Philippines 91,800 2.2
Malaysia 91,500 2.2
Hong Kong 91,300 2.2
India 79,000 1.9
Sri Lanka 46,700 1.1
Indonesia 42,200 1.0
Singapore 36,400 0.9
Japan 25,300 0.6
Migration has changed in particular our largest cities: in 1991, over
20 per cent of the resident population of Sydney and Melbourne were born
in a non-English speaking country, compared with less than 5 per cent
in regional centres. Migrants from Asian countries in particular have
preferred to settle in our largest cities: in 1991 over 90 per cent lived
in cities of over 100 000, compared with 58 per cent of the Australia-born.
While the 'Asian' proportion of the total population is relatively small,
it is growing rapidly: in 1976, the Asia-born comprised only 1.1 per cent;
in 1985 2.5 per cent; and in 1995 4.8 per cent.
As at June 1995, the Asia-born comprised over 21 per cent of the overseas-born
population.
Bureau of Immigration and Population Research projections, based on
recent source country balances and net intakes of 70 000 or 100 000, suggest
that by 2031 people born in Europe (including the UK and Ireland) will
decline from 13 per cent (in 1994) to 6-7 per cent of the population,
and those born in Asia will increase from less than 5 per cent to 7-9
per cent.
Projections based on ethnicity are more complex: they are based on ancestry
or ethnic origin rather than birthplace. Demographer Dr Charles Price
has made projections based on a measure of 'ethnic strength', which tells
what percentage of the population is of each specific origin, and counts
people according to their proportionate contribution to the ethnic group.(6)
According to this measure, about 75 per cent of Australia's population
in 1987 were of Anglo-Celtic origins, the rest being of other European,
Asian, Middle Eastern, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Pacific Islander
and African origins.
In his latest set of projections, based on migration trends of the past
10 years, Dr Price has estimated that in the year 2025, people of Anglo-Celtic
background will make up 62 per cent, and people of other European origins
15 per cent of the total population; that is, a total of 77 per cent will
be of European background.
People of Asian background will make up 16 per cent of the total population.
Among the Asians, the Chinese will be the largest ethnic group at 7 per
cent.
Four per cent of the population will be of Middle Eastern (including
Lebanese, Turkish and Egyptian) origins and 2 per cent of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander background.
Projected ethnic composition of Australia's population in 2025, compared
to 1987(2)
1987 2025
% %
Anglo-Celtic 75 62
Other European 18 15
Asian 3 16
Middle East 2 4
Aboriginal & 1 2
Torres Strait Islander
Other 1 1
Conclusion
While interesting, the implications (if any) of such projections are
unclear. As the most recent wave of immigrants, Asians, along with people
from Middle Eastern countries, are currently the most 'different'. However,
by the second and third generations, most migrant groups have integrated
into the broader society, and the issue of ethnic ancestry has an individual
rather than a broader social focus.
Regardless of the size of the migration program, there is likely to
be an increasing Asian presence in our cities. There were 82 500 places
in the permanent migration program in 1995-96. In 1995-96 there were also
nearly 61 000 overseas students, over 250 000 temporary residents (including
183 000 business entrants), and over 2.7 million tourists. People from
Asian countries comprise a growing proportion of these increasingly significant
movements.
Endnotes
- Prior to 1990, the definition of Asian arrivals used by the ABS was
based on the UN geographical definition of the continent of Asia, and
included settlers from the Middle East. Since 1990 the ABS and DIMA
have used a classification based on 3 regional sub-groups: Northeast
Asia (China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan); Southeast Asia (Brunei,
Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma (Myanmar), the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam); and Southern Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka). The Middle East (including Lebanon, Turkey
and Iraq) is classified as a separate region: not part of Asia.
- These and other immigration statistics and demographic projections
are from DIMA/BIMPR fact sheets and statistical publications, including
the quarterly Immigration Update and annual Australia's Population
Trends and Prospects and Population Flows. Ethnic composition
projections are from Siew-Ean Khoo and Charles Price Understanding
Australia's Ethnic Composition, DIMA, forthcoming. Population statistics
are from ABS, and are the latest available.
- Net permanent migration takes account of the number of people permanently
arriving in Australia and the number of people permanently departing.
Settler arrivals is the number of people entitled to permanent residence
actually arriving.
- These issues are explored in more detail in a Current Issues Brief,
forthcoming.
- Oceania comprises New Zealand, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.
- That is, someone who has three English grandparents and one Chinese
grandparent would be counted as 3/4 person of English and 1/4 person
of Chinese origin.
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