High numbers of young British people are leaving the UK to live in Australia, attracted by better lifestyle and work opportunities, escalating fears of a national “brain drain“.
In 2024-25, 40,000 people migrated to Australia from the UK – a 26 per cent rise in arrivals compared with the pre-pandemic average, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reports.
It attributes this sharp increase to young workers on temporary visas, with the number of 18- to 35-year-olds on “Working Holiday Maker” visas more than doubling from 38,177 in 2022-23 to 79,412 in 2024-25, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Australia’s better work-life balance is one of the main draws, with higher average wages, a standard 38-hour work week and an outdoor-focused culture. Young people who have made the move also cite the leisure opportunities and high-quality food and drink.
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