Asian migrants in Australia: A socio‐economic study

Abstract

This paper presents a socio‐economic profile of Asian migrants in Australia, using data from the 1981 Census of Population. It shows that Asian migrants are highly educated (large proportions are university graduates and are in professional occupations), English‐speaking (many are bi‐lingual) and mostly Christian. The paper then goes on to estimate the economic benefits Asian migrants bring when they migrate to Australia, as well as the costs they might impose on the economy. Benefits were estimated by measuring the costs of education and training that Australia avoided by allowing skilled migrants to enter the country. In addition, migrants brought in financial capital when they came to Australia. They also contributed to the supply of goods and services by participating in productive employment. The costs that migrants might impose on the economy relate to the possibility of taking jobs and other resources (such as education, health and other public services) which might otherwise have gone to other Australians. Careful estimates of these factors indicate that, far from imposing a burden, Asian migrants make a substantial net contribution to the economy. In addition, the findings do not lend support to the view that they may be a cause of societal dissention, or a threat to Australian democratic institutions. On the contrary, the social attributes they possess indicate that they are well placed to settle successfully, and to make a substantial contribution to the development of Australian society.