Essential Report
Immigration levels
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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In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Views towards re-electing the federal Coalition government
- Party trust to handle issues
- Importance of Australia’s international reputation
- Scott Morrison’s impact on Australia’s international reputation
- Views towards Australia’s international reputation
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