As shown in the 2016 Australian Population and Housing Census, the Chinese-born population is now over a half million, accounting for 2.2% of Australia’s total population. This number has increased from 25 thousand in 1981 and is more than double the population size in 2006. However, changes in the demographic characteristics and settlement outcomes of this fast growing migrant population are not fully understood. In particular, over the past 35 years, the effects of age, arrival cohort and period on their settlement behaviors and outcomes are not clear. Thus, this study proposes to examine the changing characteristics of the Chinese-born population and their integration in Australia between 1981 and 2016 using data from the Australian censuses, surveys on immigrants, registration data on demographic events, and Settlement Database’s integrated datasets. The focus is on the variations in marriage and fertility, spatial distributions and movements, education and labour force outcomes by age, period of arrival, and different time points. The results will contribute towards the literature on Chinese migrant communities and migrants’ settlement processes in general.

This is a PhD proposal seminar.

Qing Guan is a PhD candidate in the School of Demography. Her research experience is intensively on immigration to Australia, migration modelling, and internal migration in China. Qing holds a Master of Social Research (Advanced, specialising in demography and research methods) from the Australian National University.