The Albanese Labor government has failed to bring immigration back to pre-Covid levels as migrants continue to pour into the country, pushing up housing and rental prices and entrenching a per capita recession.
Australian Bureau of Statistics data released this week showed that net overseas migration for the first three months of 2025 was 110,062, 44,000 higher than the previous quarter, an equivalent to 1,223 a day.
The quarterly intake is double the pre-Covid quarterly average for the decade from March 2010 to March 2020, and made up 76% of the population growth during the first three months of this year.
Daniel Wild, Deputy Executive Director at the Institute of Public Affairs, said the figures showed that despite arrivals moderating in recent months they were still at historically high levels, and making living standards worse.
“A much harder and faster reduction to the Net Overseas Migration intake is required to restore confidence in Australia’s migration program, which is making Australians poorer, housing unaffordable, and our society more divided,” Mr Wild said.
“Once again the latest data shows that the unprecedented surge of Australia’s population, underpinned by mass migration, continues, with mainstream Australians paying the price.”
“The federal government has deliberately and dramatically increased Australia’s migration intake, which has contributed to the destruction of the dream of home ownership. It has played a large part in creating a prolonged per capita economic recession and has fanned the flames of social division.
“The elevated level of migration is no longer a post-pandemic catch up, but the new normal under the Albanese government. It is something that Australia simply cannot afford – with housing, infrastructure, and services unable to keep up.”
The statistics were released just days after One Nation hit a record high primary vote of 12% in a top poll as a result of the Coalition abandoning promises to cut immigration and re-positioning itself as pro-mass migration and pro-multiculturalism.
More than 1.5 million immigrants have arrived in Australia since the 2022 election, sparking growing public anger which culminated in massive March for Australia protests in every major city on August 31.
Net overseas migration statistics for the last financial year are yet to be released, but net permanent and long-term arrivals (a figure commonly used as a proxy for net overseas migration) are at record-high levels for the year so far.
Header image: A viral video of 92 people queueing to view a rental property in Perth (TikTok)
