Australia news live: press gallery ‘strongly objects’ to One Nation threats to ban journalist; migration arrivals sink lower than 2019

Overseas migration to Australia has eased as arrivals fall below 2019 levels even though more migrants are staying on. New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics today showed about 563,500 people arrived in Australia by migration in 2025. That was 32,000 fewer than in 2024 and lower than every year after 2018, when there were 534,400 arrivals, except for 2020 and 2021 which had pandemic border closures. Migration departures fell by 2,700 people, to 262,700, in 2025 from the previous year. That saw net overseas migration slide from 330,400 people in 2024 to 301,000 in 2025. In the May budget, the Albanese government forecast net overseas migration would fall to 295,000 in the year to June 2026, then 245,000 over the subsequent 12 months. Migration accounted for most of Australia’s population increase, with natural increase adding 111,500 people. Australia recorded about 300,000 births in 2025, 10,000 more than the previous year, while 188,400 people died. The population was 27.8 million by the end of the year but is projected to have passed 28 million since then.