The Australian diaspora are those Australians living outside of Australia. It includes approximately 598,765 Australian-born people living outside of Australia,[1] people who are Australian citizens and live outside Australia, and people with Australian ancestry who live outside of Australia.
In 2020, 2.34% of the Australian population lived overseas, which is lower than most OECD countries, except the USA (0.89%) and Japan (0.64%).[1]
History
The diaspora was reported on in a 2003 Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) research report, "Australia's Diaspora: Its Size, Nature and Policy Implications".[13] The report argued for an Australian government policy of maintaining active contact with the diaspora.
In contrast to many countries which experience a "brain drain" due to emigration, the 2003 CEDA report argued that emigration was a net positive for Australia, with the country seeing "brain circulation" as Australians added to their skills and expertise, and a "brain gain", as these skilled expatriates tended to return to Australia and new skilled immigrants arrive.[13] Between 1999 and 2003, there were seven highly educated migrants to Australia for every one highly educated Australian who was living elsewhere in countries within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).[15] Levels of skilled immigration to Australia reflect Government policies to "practise a selective immigration policy based on human capital criteria".[16]
Countries by Australian diaspora
United Kingdom
In 2021, 165,000 Australian-born people lived in the United Kingdom.[2] The 2011 UK Census recorded 113,592 residents born in Australia in England, 2,695 in Wales,[17] 8,279 in Scotland,[18] and 1,750 in Northern Ireland.[19]
United States
In 2019, there were 98,619 Australian-born people living in the United States.[3] In 2001, the major places of residence were: 25,000 living in Los Angeles; 17,000 in San Francisco; 17,000 in Washington, D.C.; and 15,000 in New York.[20]
New Zealand
In 2018, there were 75,696 Australian-born people living in New Zealand.[4] The Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement enables Australians and New Zealanders to migrate between Australia and New Zealand without complying with usual immigration requirements.
Hong Kong
In 2016, there were 14,669 Australian-born people living in Hong Kong.[7]
China
In 2010, there were 13,286 Australian-born people living in Mainland China.[10]
Germany
In 2021 there were 26,000 Australian-born people living in Germany.[21] In recent years,[when?] the number of Australians living abroad in Germany has increased.
Comparison with the expatriate populations of other countries
In 2020, 2.34% of the Australian population lived overseas, which is lower than most OECD countries, except the USA (0.89%) and Japan (0.64%).
Education levels of Australian expatriates were high: 44% of Australian expatriates in other OECD countries had a high level of education.[22] Japanese expatriates had the highest proportion, with 50% having a high level of education. 49% of expatriates from the USA had a high education as did 45% of expatriates from New Zealand.[15]
↑ Notes on education levels from the ABS: (c) High level includes ISCED5A: Academic tertiary, ISCED5B: Vocational tertiary, ISCED 6: Advanced research. (d) Overall, 3% of OECD expatriates in the OECD had no information on educational attainment. These have been excluded from the total in calculating the proportion. (e) The migrant to expatriate ratio for people with a high level of education for a particular country is: the ratio of the number of migrants from other OECD countries with a high level of education living in that country, to the number of that country's expatriates with a high level of education.
Further reading
Graeme Hugo (13 February 2006). "An Australian Diaspora?". International Migration. 44 (1). International Organization for Migration: 105–133. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2435.2006.00357.x.
Graeme Hugo (2006). "Australian experience in skilled migration". In Christiane Kuptsch; Pang Eng Fong; Eng Fong Pang (eds.). Competing for Global Talent. International Labour Organization. pp.143–145. ISBN978-92-9014-776-3.
The demographics of Japan include birth and death rates, age distribution, population density, ethnicity, education level, healthcare system of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects regarding the Japanese population. According to the United Nations, the population of Japan was roughly 126.4 million people, and peaked at 128.5 million people in 2010. It is the 6th-most populous country in Asia, and the 11th-most populous country in the world.
The Iranian diaspora, also known as Iranian expats, are Iranian citizens or people of Iranian descent living outside Iran.
Turks in Japan are Turks living in Japan. Historically, the term has included Turkic émigrés and immigrants from former Russian Empire, most of whom later acquired Turkish citizenship.
Australians, colloquially known as Aussies, are the citizens, nationals and individuals associated with the country of Australia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or ethno-cultural. For most Australians, these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being Australian. Australian law does not provide for a racial or ethnic component of nationality, instead relying on citizenship as a legal status, though the Constitutional framers considered the Commonwealth to be "a home for Australians and the British race alone", as well as a "Christian Commonwealth". Since the postwar period, Australia has pursued an official policy of multiculturalism and has the world's eighth-largest immigrant population, with immigrants accounting for 30 percent of the population in 2019.
Iranians in Japan are a minority group, with official statistics recording about 5,000 Iranian migrants in the country. Part of the Iranian diaspora, most live in the Greater Tokyo Area.
There is a significant community of Brazilians in Japan, consisting largely but not exclusively of Brazilians of Japanese descent. Brazilians with Japanese descent are commonly known as Nikkei Brazilians or Brazilian Japanese people. They constitute the largest number of native Portuguese speakers in Asia, greater than those of formerly Portuguese East Timor, Macao and Goa combined. Likewise, Brazil maintains its status as home to the largest Japanese community outside Japan.
Emigration from Colombia is a migratory phenomenon that started in the early 20th century.
Overseas Pakistanis, or the Pakistani diaspora, refer to Pakistanis who live outside of Pakistan. These include citizens who have migrated to another country as well as people born abroad of Pakistani descent. According to a December 2017 estimate by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, approximately 8.8 million Pakistanis live abroad. Data released in 2023 by the Ministry of Emigration and Overseas Employment states that more than 10.80 million people have moved abroad since 1990.
Bangladeshis in Japan form one of the smaller populations of foreigners in Japan. As of in June 2023, Japan's Ministry of Justice recorded 24,940 Bangladeshi nationals among the total population of registered foreigners in Japan.
The Zimbabwean diaspora refers to the diaspora of immigrants from the nation of Zimbabwe and their descendants who now reside in other countries. The number of Zimbabweans living outside Zimbabwe varies significantly from 4 to 7 million people, though it is generally accepted at over 5 million people, some 30 per cent of all Zimbabweans. Varying degrees of assimilation and a high degree of interethnic marriages in the Zimbabwean diaspora communities makes determining exact figures difficult. The diaspora population is extremely diverse and consists of Shona people, Ndebele, white Zimbabweans, mixed-race people, Asians, Jewish people and other minority groups. The diaspora traces their origin to several waves of emigration, starting with the exodus that followed the 1965, unilateral declaration of independence in Rhodesia, but significantly since the sociopolitical crisis that began in 2000.
Pakistanis in Japan form the country's third-largest community of immigrants from a Muslim-majority country, trailing only the Indonesian community and Bangladeshi community. As of December 2023, official statistics showed 25,334 registered foreigners of Pakistani origin living in the country. There were a further estimated 3,414 illegal immigrants from Pakistan in Japan as of 2000. The average increase in the Pakistani population is about 2-3 persons per day.
Indians in Japan consist of those with Japanese citizenship and those with foreign citizenship.
There are in December 2023 49,114 Peruvians in Japan. The majority of them are descendants of earlier Japanese immigrants to Peru who have repatriated to Japan.
There is a population of Burmese people in Japan. In June 2024, there were 110,306 Burmese living in Japan.
Nepalis in Japan consist of migrants from Nepal to Japan, including temporary expatriates and permanent residents, as well as their locally born descendants. As of June 2024, there are about 206,898 Nepalis living in Japan, which makes them the largest South Asian community in the country.
The Sri Lankan diaspora are Sri Lankan emigrants and expatriates from Sri Lanka that reside in a foreign country.
During the period of 1965 – 2021, an estimated 440,000 people per year emigrated from Africa; a total number of 17 million migrants within Africa was estimated for 2005. The figure of 0.44 million African emigrants per year pales in comparison to the annual population growth of about 2.6%, indicating that only about 2% of Africa's population growth is compensated for by emigration.
Nigerians in Japan form a significant immigrant community. There are around 3,954 Nigerians living in the country. They mostly belong to the Nigerian Union in Japan, which is divided into sub-unions based on states of origin. The vast majority of Nigerians arrived in Japan from the mid-1980s onwards.
The Malaysian diaspora are Malaysian emigrants from Malaysia and their descendants that reside in a foreign country. Population estimates vary from seven hundred thousand to one million, both descendants of early emigrants from Malaysia, as well as more recent emigrants from Malaysia. The largest of these foreign communities are in Singapore, Australia, Brunei and the United Kingdom.
Arabs in Japan consist of Arab migrants that come to Japan, as well as their descendants. In December 2016, there were 6,037 Arabs living in Japan.
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