Think Australia would be better off with less migration? The numbers tell a different story

AI Summary

Australia’s aging population and declining birth rate contrast with the need for immigration to support economic growth and fund the ageing population. The report argues that anti-migration rhetoric conflicts with the demographic and economic necessities.

The population is ageing and we’re having fewer babies. Labor should keep that in mind as the migration debate rages Get our new political email, free app or daily news podcast The intergenerational report lays bare how today’s growing anti-migration rhetoric clashes with a future where we need to attract people from overseas to help grow the economy and pay for our ageing population. The “replacement” fertility rate is 2.1 children per woman – this is the average number of births to keep the population steady without migration and we’ve been below this level for 50 years. Continue reading...