Australia has set a new immigration record with almost half a million people arriving in the country last year.
The Institute of Public Affairs (IPA), a conservative think tank which boasts former Prime Minister Tony Abbott as an affiliate, published its analysis of the latest Overseas Arrivals and Departures database from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
It found net permanent and long-term arrivals to the country totalled 494,540 in the 12 months to January 2026, the highest in recorded history.
The arrivals were people who had moved to Australia with a declared intention to stay for a year or longer.
The data comes a little more than a week after the Albanese government boasted that immigration had been slashed.
In January alone this year, there were 57,270 people arriving with the intention of staying for a year or more, breaking the record for the highest January net arrivals.
‘Records continue to be smashed with this government’s promise to cut migration in absolute tatters,’ Senior Fellow at the IPA Dr Kevin You said on Tuesday.
‘The number of people coming to settle in Australia reached record highs, as the size of Australia’s migrant population is growing larger than ever.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese claimed this month that his government has significantly cut the total number of people moving to Australia
But analysis of migration data revealed net permanent and long-term arrivals to Australia totalled 494,540 in the 12 months to January 2026
‘The Albanese government has been unable or unwilling to genuinely reform our migration system.’
Home Affairs data shows there were 2.98million temporary visa holders staying or residing in Australia on January 1.
IPA noted this was the highest number on record, marking a 4.24 per cent growth from the previous year.
‘The federal government’s half-hearted amendments to the nation’s visa rules have failed to deter a wave of settlers who intend to stay in Australia for the next 12 months and beyond,’ Dr You said.
‘The blame for the problems caused by out-of-control mass migration in recent years should be directed squarely at the federal government, not the migrants.
‘The Australian way of life is the envy of people the world over. But Australia’s migration programme must be planned for, have the consent of the community, and be targeted towards areas of economic need.
‘The federal government has been failing on all three counts.’
During Question Time on March 5, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese claimed his government had significantly lowered the total number of people moving to Australia.
The arrivals were people who had moved to Australia with a declared intention to stay for a year or longer
‘When it comes to migration numbers, we have cut the net migration figures by over 40 per cent in a year,’ he said.
‘The number of people arriving now is lower than it was under the Coalition.
‘The latest population statement released in early January confirmed that population growth is expected to slow to 1.3 per cent in the current financial year.’
Migration figures may have broadly been cut across the board, according to Albanese, that does not address the specific group highlighted by the IPA, whose numbers have risen.
The Daily Mail has contacted the Department of Home Affairs for comment.
In January, UN data revealed almost one in three Australian residents were born overseas.
More than 7.1million foreign‑born people now call Australia home, pushing it ahead of the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada when measured by population share.
Only a handful of smaller European nations exceed Australia’s proportion of migrants, and most are uncommon cases shaped by geography, labour needs or small population size.
Migration is a heated issue for voters, with a Freshwater Strategy survey in January of 1,050 Australians revealing more than a quarter of them were worried about immigration.
Meanwhile, One Nation has outpolled the Liberals and Nationals in recent surveys, with Pauline Hanson promoting strong anti-immigration policies.
