Australia’s identity is undergoing fundamental demographic changes. The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that net overseas migration hit a record 659,800 in the year ending September 2023, out of a total population of 26.8 million. These arrivals accounted for 83 per cent of Australia’s population growth for the year.

Three out of four current female migrants are of child-bearing age, double the figure of Australian residents. At the same time, the birth rate for Australian residents continues to decline and is now at 1.63 births per woman, well below the replacement rate of 2.1. And 17 per cent of Australians are now 65 years and over.