Australia: Experts say Australians are 'too polite' to blame immigration for housing crunch as support shifts
Analysts link growing concerns about housing to attitudes toward immigration, even as official data tout diversity as an asset.
An expert has claimed Australians are “too polite” to blame high levels of immigration for the housing crisis, saying the public rarely voices outright opposition to migrants in surveys. Bob Birrell, president of the Australian Population Research Institute, argued that a majority of voters are opposed to greater diversity, even if they stop short of saying so publicly. His comments follow new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and related research showing a nuanced picture of how Australians view immigration.
The ABS, in its mappings tied to the Mapping Social Cohesion Report funded by the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute, found that 71% of people in 2024 agreed that immigrants strengthened Australia. The figure dipped from 78% in 2023, marking the first year-over-year decline since 2017. The ABS stressed that cultural diversity is one of the greatest assets of Australian society and underpins future integration, prosperity, schools, workplaces and international ties. Nevertheless, Birrell contended that the poll does not fully capture how Australians feel about immigration, describing it as a measure of politeness rather than conviction: “Most people are not prepared to say outright that migrants are a problem, but when we ask them in our survey whether they are in favour of more diversity or not, the great majority of voters — including most well-established migrants — say they’re opposed to that.”
Across the country, the debate has spilled into the streets. Thousands of Australians protested in major cities two weeks before Sept. 18, voicing concerns about high immigration and its apparent links to housing unaffordability. Protesters gathered with placards and flags in Brisbane and other urban centers, a scene that mirrors the public discourse reflected in the latest polling and the absolute rental market pressures in cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane.
Analysts say the association between immigration levels and housing costs is stronger among those who believe immigration is too high than among those who favor diversity, suggesting economic and housing issues drive much of the skepticism. The Mapping Social Cohesion Report notes that those who think immigration is too high still value multiculturalism and migrants’ contributions to society, culture and the economy, complicating the political calculus for policymakers.
Historical survey data provide further context. A 2021 TAPRI survey found that 67% of respondents disagreed with the notion that Australia needed to boost immigration “to increase our ethnic and other forms of diversity.” This echoes a broader pattern in which some polls show lower support for higher immigration even as broad populations acknowledge the benefits of diversity. A Lowy Institute poll from June reported that 53% believed the number of migrants arriving each year was too high, with only 38% thinking it was about right and 7% deeming it too low.
ABS figures show that in the year to May, about 1.1 million permanent and long-term arrivals entered Australia, including international students and skilled workers. The influx has intensified competition for rentals in major urban markets, contributing to higher rents and rising house prices, and fueling public concern about affordability. The ABS and researchers emphasize that cultural diversity remains a central asset for the country, but the public’s perception of immigration’s cost on housing remains a pivotal political and social issue as Australia seeks to balance growth, inclusion and affordability.