MIGRATION accounts for 60 per cent of Australia's population growth with the United Kingdom remaining the greatest source of new arrivals from overseas.

The latest immigration snapshot from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows 5.5 million Australians, or about a quarter of the population, were born overseas.

About 213,000 people migrated to Australia in 2007/08, accounting for 60 per cent of the nation's population growth, with the bulk of new arrivals (60 per cent) aged between 15 and 34.

The United Kingdom remains the greatest source of migrants with 1.2 million people born in Britain now living in Australia.

The figures show people from more than 200 countries resettled in Australia in 2007/08 with New Zealand, China, India and Italy also high on the list as sources of migrants.

The most popular destination for people arriving from overseas was NSW while Queensland was the most common choice in terms of domestic migration.

More than 360,000 Australians moved interstate in 2007/08 with people aged 20 to 34 representing about 40 per cent of that figure.

- Source: The Australian