The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) yesterday released visitor arrivals and departures data for the month of April, which registered another significant fall in net long-term and permanent migration into Australia.
In the year to April 2014, there were 760,930 permanent and long-term arrivals into Australia – down from the record 792,500 arrivals set in the year to January 2013 – partly offset by 382,340 permanent and long-term departures from Australia (see next chart).
There were 378,590 net permanent and long-term arrivals into Australia in the year to April 2014, down from 385,360 net arrivals in the year to March 2014, but still representing a 33% increase from the January 2011 trough and well over double the long-run average of 153,697 (see next chart).
Clearly, overall net long-term migration into Australia has peaked. Moreover, permanent migration is also softening. In the year to April 2014, permanent arrivals fell by 4% to 145,390, whereas permanent departures fell by a more moderate 3% to 87,580 (see next chart).
Taken together, net permanent arrivals into Australia fell by 5% over the year and are tracking 11% below the long-run average; although a significant proportion of these will obviously go on to become permanent residents down the track (see next chart).
