More People Than Ever Are Moving to Australia: An Easy Guide to the New ABS Numbers

News · 2026-08-22 · 4 min read

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has shared new figures for the June 2026 reference period. They show something that many future migrants, employers and families already expected. Australia is still one of the most popular places in the world for people who want to start a new life. If you want to work in Australia from Indonesia, these numbers can help you understand the bigger picture.

The key figures, one by one

The latest update to the ABS Overseas Arrivals and Departures series gives these results:

For the whole 2025–26 financial year, net permanent and long-term overseas arrivals reached 476,870. This is the highest yearly total ever recorded.
Between January and June 2026, there were 275,810 net arrivals.
In the month of June 2026 by itself, net permanent and long-term overseas arrivals totalled 27,030 people.

This is not a sudden jump that happened only once. It is part of a longer pattern. In the past ten years, yearly net arrivals have almost doubled. They are up 96% from about 243,900 a decade ago.

Pressure on homes and cities

When people see a record number, they often think it means trouble. It is true that housing supply and infrastructure are serious topics in Canberra and in every state capital. For the same financial year, housing approvals were about 205,249. That is actually lower than the level of a decade ago.

So population is growing faster than housing supply. This is a real policy problem. Governments, planners and industry must keep working to solve it.

The view from the person behind the number

There is also a second way to look at these figures. It matters most if you are one of the people inside the statistic. Australia keeps choosing to grow through migration. It does this not in spite of the pressure, but because the long-term economic and social reasons for migration are still strong.

Skilled workers, international students, family migrants and humanitarian entrants all play a part. Together they keep industries staffed, help fund universities and help communities grow. Record numbers show record demand on both sides. Employers are still recruiting talent from overseas. The processing pathways are not perfect, but they are still moving large numbers of people through the system.

Practical tips for your own move

Maybe you are thinking about a skilled visa, a partner or family visa, or a pathway from study to work in Australia. Here are some useful lessons from this data:

Strong demand is a real trend. High arrival numbers usually go together with ongoing visa program activity, not a slowdown. But high numbers can also mean longer processing queues in some streams. Because of this, applying early with well-prepared documents matters more than ever.
Rules can change fast. Migration is now a big public and political topic. Groups like the Institute of Public Affairs have called for "corrective action". When this happens, governments sometimes adjust their policies. They may change occupation lists, quotas or visa fees. It is much better to stay ahead of these changes than to react after they happen, and a migration adviser can help a lot with this.
Regional pathways could help you. Housing and infrastructure pressure is strongest in the big cities. So you can expect more government incentives for migration pathways linked to regional Australia and to areas with identified economic need.

To get ready, write a clear English-language CV, and check early if your visa needs an English test such as IELTS or PTE. If a police certificate is requested, you can apply for an SKCK from the Indonesian National Police.

What the record really tells us

These record figures make news, but they also act like a road sign. They show that Australia's population and economic plans still depend heavily on people arriving from overseas. Moving through the system with good advice and good timing is still what separates a smooth pathway from one that gets stuck. Prepare well, stay informed and take your next step with confidence.

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