How did post-war migration change Australia's population?

Post-war migration transformed Australia's population through one of the largest proportionate population shifts in any developed country in the twentieth century. The population grew from about 7.4 million in 1945 to 13 million in 1970 and to about 26 million in 2024, with immigration contributing more than half of the total growth.

The composition shifted dramatically. In 1947, about 90 per cent of Australians were born in Australia and most of the rest were born in Britain or Ireland, with non-European-born Australians representing less than 1 per cent of the population. By the 2021 census, about 29 per cent of Australians were born overseas, almost half had a parent born overseas, and more than 270 ancestries and 300 languages were represented across the population. The largest country-of-birth groups outside Australia in 2021 were England, India, China, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Several specific waves shaped the changes. The British and Irish assisted passage programme of 1947 to 1982 brought about 1.5 million migrants. The European displaced persons scheme of 1947 to 1953 brought about 170,000 refugees. The Italian, Greek, Yugoslav, Dutch, German, and other European assisted passage schemes brought another 1.3 million between the 1940s and 1970s. The post-1975 Indochinese refugee settlement brought about 100,000 Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian refugees. From the 1980s onwards, Asian (particularly Chinese and Indian), Middle Eastern (particularly Lebanese), African (particularly Sudanese and Somali), and Pacific migration grew substantially.

Cultural impact has been extensive. Australian food, fashion, sport, music, business, religion, and language have all been transformed. Italian and Greek influence is particularly strong in Melbourne and Sydney. Chinese, Indian, and Vietnamese influence now shapes major cities. The Australian Citizenship Pledge, introduced in 1994, captures the post-war vision of citizenship based on shared democratic values rather than common ethnic background. About 200,000 people become Australian citizens each year through citizenship ceremonies, the ongoing extension of the post-war migration story. Multiculturalism was adopted as formal policy in 1973 and has been the framework for managing the country's diversity ever since. The ongoing work of multicultural policy, anti-racism work, and Indigenous-non-Indigenous reconciliation continues to develop the country's approach.