The bar chart illustrates the proportion of immigrants to Australia from five different countries in 1962, 1982 and 2002.
Overall, notable changes can be observed in the composition of Australia’s immigrant population over the period. While the proportions of migrants from New Zealand and Italy declined, the figures for India and Vietnam increased considerably. Italy accounted for the largest share in 1962, whereas Vietnam became the leading source of immigrants in 1982.
Focusing first on countries that experienced declines, Italy saw a substantial reduction in its share of immigrants, falling from a peak of approximately 40% in 1962 to about 15% by 2002. A similar but less pronounced trend was evident for New Zealand, whose proportion decreased steadily to around 5%, making it the smallest contributor in the final year.
Turning to the remaining countries, both the UK and Vietnam accounted for roughly 10% of immigrants in 1962. By 1982, the UK’s share rose moderately to about 17%, while Vietnam recorded a dramatic increase to 25%, the highest figure among the five countries at that time. By 2002, however, the proportions for both countries declined slightly, converging at approximately 13%.
It is also noteworthy that India experienced the most significant overall growth, rising steadily from a modest 3% in 1962 to just under 15% in 2002, ranking second among the five countries in the final year.