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Care, energy or tech? The UK careers Australia's 40-year outlook points towards

News · 2026-09-28 · 4 min read

Once every three years, Australia's federal government tries to picture the country 40 years from now. Its latest Intergenerational Report (IGR) is clear on one point: future growth relies heavily on people who decide to move there. If you are in the UK and wondering whether your skills would be wanted, the report offers useful clues about where demand is heading.

Growth that comes from newcomers

Australians are having fewer children. The report expects the fertility rate to fall to 1.34 births per woman by 2065-66, well below the 1.62 assumed in the previous report. By the 2060s, deaths are expected to outnumber births for the first time.

Even so, the population is forecast to reach 39.3 million by 2065-66. The reason is net overseas migration, assumed to average 235,000 people a year over the long term. The report says this gives Australia demographic resilience compared with countries such as Germany, Italy and South Korea, where deaths already exceed births.

An older country needs younger workers

Recent migrants have a median age of around 26, against 38 for existing residents. That gap helps explain why Australia's working-age population (15 to 64) is expected to keep growing while similar economies shrink. The ageing is still striking:

Four areas to watch

Care. More older people means more need for nurses, aged care workers, allied health professionals and disability support staff. If you work in a hospital, care home or community team in the UK, this is the clearest signal in the report.

Energy. With a net zero target of 2050, Australia hopes to become a renewable energy superpower through critical minerals, green hydrogen and green metals. That calls for engineers, technicians, tradespeople and project specialists.

AI and digital change. The report admits the effects of artificial intelligence are uncertain, but expects it to change which skills are most valuable and how work gets done.

Services. Growth is expected to keep moving towards services, which favours professional, technical and people-facing skills.

The wider economy in brief

Growth is expected to ease from about 3% a year to about 2%, mainly because of ageing. Even then, the economy is projected to be more than twice its current size by 2065-66, with real income per person up 55%. Life expectancy is forecast to reach 89.5 years for women and 86.1 for men. The report is also frank about the pressures, including housing affordability for younger people and rising government spending.

A forecast, not a promise

The 235,000 figure is an assumption. The Opposition and One Nation have both said they would aim for much lower migration if elected, and visa categories, priorities and occupation lists can change with governments and budgets. Working from up-to-date information and a well-prepared application makes a real difference.

Practical steps from the UK

• Look ahead, not just at today's lists. Care, energy and technology are where the report sees long-term need.
• Check current rules. Use the official visa listing rather than relying on what applied a few years ago.
• Start the paperwork early. Skills assessments, English tests and documents take time. For many Australian work visas a current UK passport counts as meeting the English requirement, but employers and registration bodies can set their own rules, and UK trade qualifications such as an NVQ are usually assessed again.

A clear CV helps when you start applying: Build AI CV can help you set out your experience for Australian employers. For more context, read what the population forecasts mean for migrants and why migration is built into the plan, then browse jobs in Australia for UK citizens.

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