CANBERRA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Nearly a third of Australian residents were born overseas, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has revealed.

According to ABS figures released on Friday, 7.6 million people living in Australia in June 2020 were born in another country.

The cohort represents 30 percent of the country's total population compared to 28 percent in 2015 and 27 percent in 2010.

"Australia's population encompasses migrants born in nearly every country worldwide, highlighting our culturally diverse society," Jenny Dobak, the Director of Migration Statistics at the ABS, said in a media release.

"People born in England continue to be the largest group of overseas-born residents, accounting for 980,000 people. Those born in India became the second largest group in 2020 with 721,000 people."

More than 650,000 people born in China were living in Australia in 2020 -- a 75 percent increase from 371,000 in 2010 -- meaning it has overtaken New Zealand as the third-biggest country of birth.

The ABS also charted the impacts of the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic on migration data, revealing that 510,000 people arrived to live in Australia from overseas in the 12 months to June 2020 while a record-high 315,000 people left the country.

The number of Australians returning to the country after living overseas was a record-high 99,000. Enditem

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