Labor’s immigration reforms are too little, too late

Friday 18 September 2026

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Thursday released the official population data for the March quarter of 2026.

Australia’s population increased by 130,900 in the March quarter, driven by net overseas migration (NOM) of 101,000:

Over the year, Australia’s population grew by 392,800, driven by NOM of 292,100:

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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.