Good to know
Good to Know
- Perth's foreign-born population (40%) substantially exceeds the Australian national average (32% as of 2025), making it one of Australia's most diverse cities by birthplace.
- While UK-born residents remain the largest single foreign-born group, the recent wave of South African, Indian, and Southeast Asian migrants reflects Perth's appeal to skilled workers and students.
- The growing tech startup ecosystem actively recruits international talent and remote workers, particularly from Commonwealth and Asian markets.
- Perth's rapid population growth (2.4% growth rate in 2024–25, highest among Australian capital cities) includes both permanent migration and short-term residential mobility.
Citizenship Status
- Not Stated
- 7
- Census Year
- 2016
- Non Citizens
- 14.7
- Australian Citizens
- 78.3
- Note
- Proportion of citizenship in Greater Perth
Official Population
- Figure
- 2384371
- Source Basis
- Australian Bureau of Statistics Estimated Resident Population (ERP) as of 30 June 2024
- Geographic Scope
- Perth Metropolitan Area
Notable Nationalities
United Kingdom
- Percentage
- 9.5
- Note
- Approximately 9.5% of greater Perth population born in UK; historically largest foreign-born group
New Zealand
- Percentage
- 3.1
South Africa
- Percentage
- 1.8
- Note
- Second major source of recent immigration; overtook Italians as 4th-largest foreign group by early 2000s
India
- Percentage
- 1.6
Malaysia
- Percentage
- 1.4
China
- Percentage
- significant presence in City of Perth (6.2% in 2021 City of Perth census)
Foreign Born Percentage
Greater Perth
- Percentage
- 36
- Census Year
- 2021
- Note
- Greater Perth metropolitan area
City Of Perth Lga
- Percentage
- 54.1
- Census Year
- 2021
- Note
- City of Perth Local Government Area (inner city proper)
Business And Tech Presence
- Tech Ecosystem
- Growing startup and innovation ecosystem with expanding presence of global tech enterprises
- Global Presence
- Home to global enterprises; active international investment attracting tech companies seeking Asia-Pacific operations base
Advantages
- Strategic time zone (overlaps with 50%+ of world's population and many Asian business hubs)
- Gateway to Southeast Asia
- Proximity to mining, healthcare, education, and finance sectors requiring tech solutions
- Network of accelerators and incubators (Plus Eight, Curtin Growth Ignition, Innovation Bay)
Key Sectors
- Software development
- Cybersecurity
- Cloud computing
- AI and data analytics
- Fintech and blockchain
Digital Nomad And Unregistered Foreign Residents
- Note
- No specific quantified estimate found for unregistered digital nomads or long-term tourist-visa residents in Perth. City attracts digital nomads seeking low cost of living and quality of life, but lacks dedicated expat-community population survey data. Census data captures permanent/usual residents but structurally undercounts short-term foreign residents on visas.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed September 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this local demographics research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Perth
Data last updated September 2026 · Verify anything important.