Immigration can’t stop population ageing

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For years, immigration shills have argued that Australia needs a “strong” migration program to offset the effects of an ageing population.

Their standard line of reasoning is that migrants are typically younger than the native population. As a result, importing people through immigration invariably lowers the population’s average age, eliminating the “problem” of population ageing.

Anyone with a smidgeon of common sense can understand that this reasoning is flawed because immigrants also age.

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About the author
Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.