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Immigration levels

26 Oct 2021

Q. Do you think the levels of immigration into Australia over the past ten years have been…?

Oct’21 Jan’19 Apr’18 Oct’16
Much too low 5% 4% 1% 4%
A little too low 11% 7% 4% 8%
About right 36% 26% 23% 28%
A little too high 17% 23% 27% 22%
Much too high 20% 33% 37% 28%
Don’t know 11% 6% 7% 10%
TOTAL: Too low 16% 12% 5% 12%
TOTAL: Too high 37% 56% 64% 50%
  • Significantly fewer people now think levels of immigration into Australia over the last decade have been too high, compared to January 2019 and prior.
  • Over a third (37%) of people now think immigration levels are too high, compared to 56% in January 2019, 64% in April 2018 and 50% in October 2016.
  • This is driven by an increase of people who think immigration levels are about right (36% from 26% in January 2019).
  • 16% of people now think immigration levels are too low.
Total Gender Age Group Federal Voting Intention
Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ Labor TOTAL: Coalition Greens TOTAL: Other
Much too low 5% 6% 4% 6% 5% 4% 7% 3% 7% 7%
A little too low 11% 12% 10% 14% 8% 12% 13% 9% 16% 11%
About right 36% 37% 35% 40% 36% 34% 38% 39% 43% 31%
A little too high 17% 16% 17% 16% 17% 17% 16% 21% 9% 13%
Much too high 20% 20% 20% 13% 20% 26% 18% 23% 10% 28%
Don’t know 11% 8% 14% 11% 13% 8% 8% 5% 15% 9%
TOTAL: Too low 16% 18% 14% 20% 13% 15% 20% 12% 23% 19%
TOTAL: Too high 37% 37% 37% 29% 38% 43% 34% 44% 19% 41%
Base (n) 1,781 875 906 533 601 647 636 610 157 220
  • Those aged over 55 are more likely than younger cohorts to think immigration levels are too high (43% to 38% of those aged 35-54, and 29% of those aged 18-34). A quarter (26%) of those over 55 think the levels are much too high.
  • Among voters, Coalition voters (44%) are most likely to think immigration levels are too high, followed by minor and independent party voters (41%). Greens voters (19%) are least likely to think this. About a third (34%) of Labor voters think the levels are too high.
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