Overseas migration fell to a record low in 2020-21 as travel restrictions contributed to a net loss of 85,000 people.
The figures were contained in an excerpt of the report,which was prepared by the Centre for Population and will be released in full on Friday.
The data projects that COVID-19’s full hit to cumulative net overseas migration between 2019-20 and 2025-26 will total 473,000 people – roughly the population of Canberra.
But it also shows the $40 billion international education industry is bouncing back. The number of overseas students in the country rose by 122,000 from December 2021 to October 2022 and is projected to stay at pre-pandemic levels.
By mid-October 2022,the number of Chinese students had risen by 90 per cent,or 36,000,compared to the previous December.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the government welcomed the rebound in overseas migration on top of figureson Sunday that showed the nation’s fertility rate has bounced back to pre-pandemic levels of 1.66 births per woman.