Australia’s immigration rate surges by a record 518,000 in one year – but Labor is now accusing critics of excessive population growth of ‘playing politics’

A record 518,100 migrants have moved to Australia in a year and the Labor Party is now accusing critics of “playing politics” as population growth hits its highest level since the early 1950s.

Net overseas arrivals accounted for 83 per cent of Australia’s population growth in the 2022-23 financial year, new Australian Bureau of Statistics data released on Thursday showed.

A record 518,100 migrants moved to Australia in June, compared with net births of 106,100, with an annual growth rate of 624,100.

The net immigration figure was even higher than the Treasury’s forecast of 510,000, published this week in its half-year economic and financial forecast.

As recently as May’s Budget, the Treasury forecast that 400,000 migrants would move to Australia in 2022-23, with this figure covering permanent and long-term arrivals.

A record 518,100 migrants have moved to Australia in a year and Labor is now accusing critics of “playing politics” as population growth hits its highest level since the early 1950s (Sydney Town Hall train station pictured).

1.625 million migrants will move to Australia in the five years to June 2027, according to updated Treasury forecasts released on Wednesday.

That was much higher than the 1.495 million over five years forecast in May.

Home Secretary Claire O’Neill on Monday vowed to cut total arrivals by 185,000 over four years by cracking down on international students gaming the visa system.

But without the cut, 1.805 million migrants would have arrived in the five years to mid-2027, according to government Treasury data.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Wednesday night accused Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of “playing politics” when asked about his claim Australia’s population was growing at a faster rate than previously predicted.

“Peter Dutton is known for playing politics with issues like this and he knows next to nothing about economics,” he told the ABC’s 7.30 programme.

“He should know that what we are saying here is that, despite these various forecasts, there would have been 180,000 if we had not taken the steps we proposed to take on Monday when Clare published the Migration Strategy.

“He will play the usual Peter Dutton-style negative and nasty politics.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Wednesday night accused Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of “playing politics” when asked about his claim Australia’s population was growing at a faster rate than previously predicted.

“Our job is to manage the economy and the interests of the Australian people.

“This means implementing a strategy that will result in 180,000 fewer migrants than predicted in the updated forecast I published today.”

Laura Tingle, the 7.30 summer presenter, noted that Mr Dutton had cited Treasury figures from MYEFO released this week, but she had failed to challenge Dr Chalmers on the issue, which meant total figures for five years earlier had not been taken into account. June 2027.

Australia’s population growth rate was 2.4 percent during the last financial year, double the 1.2 percent population growth rate observed two decades ago.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took office in May 2022, five months after Australia’s borders reopened.