Key statistics
• At 30 June 2024, Australia’s population included 8.6 million people who were born overseas.
• The proportion of Australia’s population born outside Australia was 31.5%.
• England, India, China and New Zealand were the countries of birth with the largest populations.
• Those born in India recorded the largest increase since 2014
Australia’s Sri Lankan-born population reached a record 172,800 in June 2024, according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The figure represents a 9% increase from 158,300 in June 2023, reflecting strong post-pandemic migration trends.
At 30 June 2024, Australia’s population included 8.6 million people who were born overseas.
The proportion of Australia’s population born outside Australia was 31.5%.
England, India, China and New Zealand were the countries of birth with the largest populations.
The Sri Lankan-born group now ranks as Australia’s 10th largest overseas-born population, moving up from 11th in 2023. It sits behind Malaysia-born residents (about 183,000) and ahead of several European-born groups. Australia’s largest migrant populations continue to be those born in England, India, China and New Zealand.
The Sri Lankan-born community has grown by more than 50% since 2013, when just over 110,000 residents were recorded. The group now makes up about 0.6% of Australia’s total population.
Victoria remains the primary destination, housing around 52% of Sri Lankan-born residents, followed by New South Wales with about 24%. The group’s median age is 41 to 42, slightly older than the national median, and about 52% are male.
The data is part of the ABS’s latest release on Australia’s population by country of birth.
