Key Backpacker Statistics for Australia’s Working Holiday Program

New Updated Stats 2024

  • French WHMs have seen a 31% increase in 2024 versus 2019 levels
  • 55% of all Irish In Australia are on a Working Holiday Visa. In comparison 27% are permanent residents and 12% are on visitor visas
  • Ireland have led the post pandemic WHM recovery with 147% Increase on 2019 levels
  • September 2024 saw more Working Holiday Makers (WHM) in the country that any time in the history of the program
  • Brits, Irish and French currently make up 1/3 of all Working Holiday Makers
  • The average length of stay for Working Holiday Makers is 9.4 months

Backpacker Statistics

  • The working holiday program has existed since 1975
  • The working holiday visa (417) costs AU$635.00
  • For the year 2023-2024, there were a total of 234,556 working holiday maker visas granted
  • This is the highest number of WHM visas granted since 2013-14, when 239,592 WHM visas were granted.
  • A total of 135,000 Working Holiday Maker visa holders arrived in Australia in 2022
  • A total of 224,431 Working Holiday Maker visas were granted in 2022-23
  • From 1 July 2023, there will be 100 Work and Holiday visas allocated to Papua New Guinea
  • On 1 July 2022, the Work and Holiday visa arrangements with both Brazil and Mongolia commenced with 500 and 100 annual visa places available respectively
  • Australia has agreed to extend access to the Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa to up to 1,000 Indian citizens each year (expected by Dec 2024)
  • Top five countries for first Working Holiday visa grants in 2022-23 were: 1) United Kingdom (30,766), 2) France (21,607), 3) Ireland (17,060), 4) Japan (12,407), and 5) South Korea (11,979)
  • Top five countries for first Work and Holiday visa grants were: 1) Indonesia (5,385), 2) United States of America (4,367), 3) China (4,091), 4) Argentina (3,737), and 5) Chile (3,176)
  • Average working holiday maker trip spend is $10,400 per year (2019 study)
  • 43% working holiday makers visit 3-7 locations (2019 study)
  • 19% of working holiday makers visit more than 8 locations (2019 study)
  • $3.2billion spend by working holiday makers for the calendar year 2019
  • $726 million spent in regional areas by backpackers
  • $1.5billion contributed labour income to the Australian economy by working holiday makers
  • 1 Australian job is created for every 10 working holiday maker visas granted
  • 1 in 3 jobs held by working holiday makers are in Australian regions

Working Holiday Maker Visa Grants

number of working holiday maker visas granted

The following table shows the number of working holiday maker visas granted by year:

Year417 Visas462 VisasGrand Total
2005-06114,693751115,444
2006-07134,9931,812136,805
2007-08154,3393,488157,827
2008-09187,9076,409194,316
2009-10175,7467,422183,168
2010-11185,4807,442192,922
2011-12214,6448,348222,992
2012-13249,2319,017258,248
2013-14229,37810,214239,592
2014-15214,83011,982226,812
2015-16195,67318,910214,583
2016-17191,95519,056211,011
2017-18185,45025,006210,456
2018-19180,22328,813209,036
2019-20122,67326,576149,249
2020-2131,2078,37939,586
2021-2279,89617,46397,359
2022-23178,30646,125224,431
2023-24193,92240,634234,556

Job Opportunities for Backpackers

Vacancies for occupations that tend to employ working holiday makers

Vacancies for occupations that tend to employ working holiday makers

New working holiday countries

As of 30 June 2023, Australia is in bilateral talks with the following countries about implementing a working holiday program:

  • Andorra
  • Costa Rica
  • Croatia
  • Fiji
  • Iceland
  • India
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Mexico
  • Monaco
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Philippines
  • 14 Solomon Islands

Sources

Source documents and websites: Home Affairs report, ABC News, Tourism Australia 2019 and 2021 snapshot, Charles Sturt University

Author: Matthew Heyes

Matthew Heyes is the founder of Backpacker Job Board. Currently based in Melbourne, Matthew originates from UK and came to Australia as a backpacker on a working holiday visa. It was during his time backpacking on the east coast of Australia that he built Backpacker Job Board. Find Matthew Heyes on Linkedin