Indians become biggest migrant group in Victoria: Census

Indians have emerged as the fastest growing migrant group in the Australia's second-most populous state of Victoria, recording a growth of 2.3 percent in the last ten years, according to latest census figures.

There were higher proportions of India-born residents in Victoria followed by Italy, Vietnam, Greece and Sri Lanka than any other state or territory, it said.

According to the latest figures released by Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in Victoria, Indians have emerged as the fastest growing migrant group in the state.

Victoria is the country's most densely populated state and its second-most populous state overall.

In terms of population growth nationally, for the top 50 countries of birth in 10 years, people from Nepal had the highest rate of increase with an average annual growth rate of 27.8 percent which stood at a small base of 4,400 persons in 2006.

The second fastest increase over the period was in the number of persons from Pakistan at 13.2 percent per year on average followed by those from Brazil at 12.1 percent, India at 10.7 percent and Bangladesh at 8.9 percent.

Persons from the UK continued to be the largest group of overseas-born residents, accounting for 5.0 per cent of Australia's total population till June last year followed by persons from New Zealand at 2.5 percent, China at 2.2 percent, India at 1.9 percent and Philippines and Vietnam at both one per cent.

New South Wales had the highest proportion of people from China grown at 2.6 percent since 2006.

Nationally, the proportion of Australians born overseas continued to reach new heights recording a growth of over 28 percent.