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After experiencing a reprieve last year, the latest net permanent and long-term arrivals data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) suggests that net overseas migration (NOM) has surged back in 2025.
There were 1,128,480 permanent and long-term arrivals in the year to May, offset by 680,860 departures, with both tracking at close to a record high.
As a result, there were 447,620 net permanent and long-term arrivals in the year to May, down only slightly from the peak of 498,270 in February 2024.
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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.