Australia: Stopping The Clock

AUSTRALIA

Stopping the Clock

Australia’s population hit 25 million decades ahead of previous forecasts made by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), energizing the country’s debate over immigration.

The historic milestone was recorded at 11.01pm (AEST) on Tuesday night by the ABS’ “population clock”, which tallies births and deaths and people entering and leaving the country, Australia’s New Daily reported.

Immigration currently accounts for 62 percent of Australia’s population growth, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported. Chinese and Indian immigrants are arriving in large numbers, changing the ethnic makeup of the country. People born in China account for 15.8 percent of total arrivals, the broadcaster said.

Since peaking at 2.1 percent in 2009 the growth rate has stabilized around 1.6 percent – the average since 1947. But the phenomenon has resulted in louder and more frequent calls for curbs on immigration, including from some sitting members of parliament and former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, the BBC reported.