Census 2016: Milestone passed as Australia becomes more Asian than European, by Peter Martin.

The census shows Australia reached a “tipping point” in 2016 where only slightly more than half its residents had two Australian-born parents.

The long-term low of 50.7 per cent is a step down from 54 per cent in 2011 and 57 per cent in 2006.

More than a quarter of Australia’s population was born overseas in 2016 (26.3 per cent, up from 24.6 per cent) and for the first time since European settlement most of the overseas-born came from Asia rather than Europe.

China, India, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia now account for more foreign-born residents than the traditional birthplaces of England, New Zealand and mainland Europe.

Two point two per cent of the population had been born in China in 2016, up from 1.5 per cent in 2011. …

The median age climbed from 37 to 38 between 2011 and 2016. One in six Australians is aged 65 or over. …

The Bureau believes Australia’s population was 24.4 million on December 31, around 100,000 more than it had thought. …

Darwin was Australia’s fastest-growing capital city, growing by 13.5 per cent, followed by Perth which grew by 12.5 per cent.

Migrants make up 28 per cent of the populations of NSW and Victoria and 32 per cent of the population of Western Australia.

They make up only 12 per cent of the population of Tasmania.

While English remains Australia’s most-used language, it is becoming less common, with 72.7 per cent of residents reporting they spoke only English at home, down from 76.8 per cent in 2011.