Skilled migration leads SA population growth
Thursday, 27 March 2008
A new publication shows that skilled migration is the main ingredient in South Australia's population growth, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, said today.
The 2008 edition of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship publication Population Flows: Immigration Aspects shows that South Australia's one per cent growth rate in 2006-07 included net overseas migration of 13 146 people.
‘The 8977 skilled workers who arrived in South Australia in 2006-07 accounted for almost 69 per cent of overseas permanent additions to the state,’ Senator Evans said.
More than 28 per cent of skilled migrants were born in the United Kingdom. About 20 per cent were born in India, more than 16 per cent in China, 4.4 per cent in Malaysia, and 3.5 per cent in South Africa.
‘The top occupations of the skilled permanent additions include accountancy, computing, nursing, building and engineering, and administration and management,’ Senator Evans said.
‘Overall, people born overseas made up one fifth of the South Australian workforce.’
Senator Evans said 16.8 per cent of overseas permanent additions to South Australia in 2006-07 were family-stream migrants while 10.2 per cent came under Australia's humanitarian program.
‘Population Flows: Immigration Aspects shows that 39.3 per cent of South Australia's overseas-born people come from the UK,’ Senator Evans said.
‘Italy, Germany, New Zealand and Greece are the next largest birthplace groups.
‘The UK was also the leading birthplace of permanent additions to South Australia in 2006-07, followed by India, China, Afghanistan and the Philippines.’
The publication also shows that SA attracted 100 000 overseas visitors in 2006-07 who nominated the state as their main place of stay in Australia, a 14.6 per cent increase on the previous year.
Population Flows: Immigration Aspects is available online.
See: www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics
URL: http://www.minister.immi.gov.au
/media/media-releases/2008/ce08029-5.htm
Last update: 13 August 2008 at 17:14 AEST