Australian Economy Australian Politics Immigration

It’s official: Sending ‘migrants to the bush’ has failed

Leith van Onselen

Friday 8 May 2026

Study after study has shown that new migrants choose to reside in Australia’s major cities.

This was revealed in the Productivity Commission’s 2016 Migrant Intake into Australia report:

The 2023 Review of the Migration System also showed categorically that migrants refuse to live in regional areas:

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About the author

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.