Overseas migrants are finally starting to return with new figures showing 110,000 people moved to Australia in the 12 months to March.

Australian Bureau of Statistics show migrant levels remain half of what they were before the start of the Covid pandemic when net overseas migration figures ranged between 238,000 and 260,000.

In addition to overseas migrants, a similar number of Australians were added to the population through natural growth. In the past 12 months there were 309,300 births and 179,100 deaths.

Beidar Cho, Demography Director at the ABS, says after two years of mostly low or no population growth, overseas migration is again a significant contributor to Australia’s population increase.

The ABS figures show a large number of international students have started to return to Australia.

Queensland’s population grew by the largest number of people in the past year, up by 94,300 people, followed by New South Wales, 49,500, Victoria, 46,500, and then South Australia, 13,980.