Demographic Data

Australia is a highly diverse nation. People have migrated to Australia from countries across the world.

To find out more about our diverse population, click on the links below:

• Demographic Data for Australia
• Demographic Data for the Australian Capital Territory 
• Demographic Data for New South Wales 
• Demographic Data for the Northern Territory
• Demographic Data for Queensland
• Demographic Data for South Australia
• Demographic Data for Tasmania 
• Demongraphic Data for Western Australia  
• References  

Demographic Data for Australia

According to the 2006 Australian Census, over 5 million Australians were born overseas, this represents almost a quarter (24%) of the total population. 44% of people reported being born overseas or having atleast one parent born overseas.

83% of the Australian population (5 years and over) speak only English at home. 3 million people reported speaking a language other than English at home. Of these, 74% were born overseas, an additional 21% had atleast one parent born overseas.

Top Ten Countries of Birth and Language Spoken at Home

Country of Birth (COB)			Language Spoken at Home
Australia	14,072,946		English	15,581,333
England	856,940		Italian	316,895
New Zealand	389,463		Greek	252,266
China	206,591		Cantonese	244,553
Italy	199,123		Arabic	243,662
Viet Nam	159,859		Mandarin	220,660
India	147,106		Vietnamese	194,584
Scotland	130,204		Spanish	98,001
Philippines	120,538		German	75,634
Greece	109,988		Hindi	70,011
Total Population	19,855,288		Total Population	19,855,288

Humanitarian Entrants - Country of Birth
Arrival Date: Jan 1, 2005 - Jan 1, 2010
Sudan		10078
Burma		7057
Afghanistan		6652
Iran		2411
Thailand		2394
Liberia		2295
Sri Lanka		2002
Sierra Leone		1985
Democratic Republic of the Congo		1713
Burundi		1556
Total Arrivals		65,899

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Demographic Data for the Australian Capital Territory

Country of Birth (COB)			Language Spoken at Home
Australia	236,457		English	262,451
England	12,990		Mandarin	3,633
New Zealand	3,916		Italian	3,426
China	3,542		Vietnamese	3,064
India	2,733		Cantonese	2,881
Viet nam	2,373		Greek	2,570
Germany	2,365		Croatian	2,526
Scotland	2,296		Spanish	2,489
Italy	2,203		German	1,807
United States of America	1,985		Arabic	1,391
Total Population	324,033		Total Population	324,034

Humanitarian Entrants - Country of Birth
Arrival Date: Jan 1, 2005 - Jan 1, 2010
Sudan		152
Iraq		106
Burma		97
Thailand		59
Sri Lanka		48
Afghanistan		44
Sierra Leone		38
Kenya		37
Iran		19
Zimbabwe		19
Total Arrivals	735

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Demographic Data for New South Wales

Country of Birth (COB)			Language Spoken at Home
Australia	4,521,155		English	4,846,670
England	218,834		Arabic	164,985
China	114,044		Cantonese	129,605
New Zealand	106,615		Mandarin	100,593
Viet Nam	63,786		Italian	87,298
Philippines	57,723		Greek	86,157
India	57,154		Vietnamese	74,587
Lebanon	55,777		Spanish	49,558
Italy	55,177		Hindi	38,146
Hong Kong	38,345		Korean	36,683
Total Population	6,549,178		Total Population	6,549,177

Humanitarian Entrants - Country of Birth
Arrival Date: Jan 1, 2005 - Jan 1, 2010
Iraq		7037
Sudan		2167
Afghanistan		1558
China, Peoples Republic		1130
Sri Lanka		1070
Sierra Leone		1037
Iran		962
Burma		915
Liberia		455
Egypt, Arab Rep of		295
Total Arrivals	20794

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Demographic Data for the Northern Territory

Country of Birth (COB)			Language Spoken at Home
Australia	148,166		English	127,283
England	5,079		Djambarrpuyngu	2,729
New Zealand	3,292		Arrernte	2,710
Philippines	1,871		Greek	2,483
United States of America	1,088		Kriol	2,451
East Timor	1,020		Warlpiri	2,398
Greece	944		Murrinh Patha	1,281
Germany	878		Tiwi	1,691
Scotland	786		Alyawarr	1,628
Indonesia	762		Luritja	1,355
Total Population	192,897		Total Population	192,901

Humanitarian Entrants - Country of Birth
Arrival Date: Jan 1, 2005 - Jan 1, 2010
Sudan		134
Liberia		90
Burma		79
Democratic Republic of the Congo		79
Somalia		50
Thailand		50
Bhutan		32
Kenya		28
Tanzania		28
Uganda		26
Burundi		19
Total Arrivals	727

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Demographic Data for Queensland

Country of Birth (COB)			Language Spoken at Home
Australia	2,935,260		English	3,371,684
England	161,424		Mandarin	24,447
New Zealand	148,760		Italian	22,032
South Africa	22,710		Cantonese	19,926
Scotland	22,443		Vietnamese	17,144
Germany	20,114		German	14,743
Philippines	18,707		Spanish	11,298
Netherlands	15,261		Greek	10,995
China	15,060		Japanese	10,217
Italy	13,999		Samoan	9,368
Total Population	3,904,533		Total Population	3,904,534

Humanitarian Entrants - Country of Birth
Arrival Date: Jan 1, 2005 - Jan 1, 2010
Sudan		1524
Burma		807
Afghanistan		445
Burundi		445
Iraq		370
Tanzania		357
Liberia		339
Democratic Republic of the Congo		336
Thailand		310
Iran		254
Total Arrivals	7684

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Demographic Data for South Australia

Country of Birth (COB)			Language Spoken at Home
Australia	1,120,081		English	1,262,782
England	101,497		Italian	35,817
Italy	22,485		Greek	25,898
Scotland	14,289		Vietnamese	13,764
Germany	11,969		Mandarin	8,954
New Zealand	11,366		German	7,956
Greece	10,781		Cantonese	7,921
Viet nam	10,547		Polish	6,917
China	8,082		Arabic	5,422
Netherlands	7,779		Serbian	4,273
Total Population	1,514,338		Total Population	1,514,336

 

Humanitarian Entrants - Country of Birth
Arrival Date: Jan 1, 2005 - Jan 1, 2010
Afghanistan		1330
Sudan		897
Iran		444
Liberia		441
Democratic Republic of the Congo		411
Burma		402
Burundi		393
Kenya		316
Bhutan		294
Iraq		279
Total Arrivals	7257

 

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Demographic Data for Tasmania

Country of Birth (COB)			Language Spoken at Home
Australia	396,655		English	438,165
England	18,920		German	1,552
New Zealand	4,159		Italian	1,353
Scotland	2,696		Greek	1,221
Netherlands	2,431		Mandarin	1,167
Germany	2,119		Dutch	1,028
United States of America	1,163		Polish	820
South Africa	1,068		Cantonese	792
Italy	1,036		Arabic	681
China	964		Spanish	674
Malaysia	960		French	489
Total Population	476,480		Total Population	476,480

Humanitarian Entrants - Country of Birth
Arrival Date: Jan 1, 2005 - Jan 1, 2010
Sudan		249
Bhutan		148
Burma		127
Democratic Republic of the Congo		121
Sierra Leone		120
Ethiopia		84
Burundi		49
Nepal		46
Iran		43
Eritrea		38
Total Arrivals	1381

  

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Demographic Data for Victoria

Country of Birth (COB)			Language Spoken at Home
Australia	3,434,470		English	3,668,283
England	163,960		Italian	133,328
Italy	82,849		Greek	117,876
New Zealand	63,995		Vietnamese	72,162
Viet nam	58,878		Cantonese	66,854
China	56,559		Mandarin	64,375
Greece	54,325		Arabic	55,927
India	52,853		Macedonian	30,772
Sri Lanka	31,486		Turkish	29,950
Malaysia	30,476		Spanish	24,506
Total Population	4,932,422		Total Population	4,932,422

Humanitarian Entrants - Country of Birth
Arrival Date: Jan 1, 2005 - Jan 1, 2010
Sudan		3422
Burma		3363
Iraq		3013
Afghanistan		2488
Thailand		1175
Ethiopia		641
Sri Lanka		591
Iran		453
Liberia		436
Kenya		352
Total Arrivals	19223

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Demographic Data for Western Australia

Country of Birth (COB)			Language Spoken at Home
Australia	1,279,224		English	1,603,039
England	174,187		Italian	32,897
New Zealand	47,333		Mandarin	16,551
Scotland	24,415		Cantonese	16,049
South Africa	22,049		Vietnamese	13,243
Italy	20,934		Arabic	7,697
Malaysia	19,721		German	7,213
India	15,157		Indonesian	6,611
Singapore	11,808		Polish	6,098
Viet Nam	10,489		Croatian	6,089
Total Population	1,959,086		Total Population	1,959,086

Humanitarian Entrants - Country of Birth
Arrival Date: Jan 1, 2005 - Jan 1, 2010
Sudan		1525
Burma		1245
Afghanistan		652
Liberia		465
Thailand		411
Iraq		361
Burundi		288
Democratic Republic of the Congo		281
Tanzania		249
Sierra Leone		207
Total Arrivals	7764

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References 

• Census statistics presented here are based on Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Census of Population and Housing 2006. Available at: http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/d3310114.nsf/home/census+data <Last viewed 6 May 2010>

Note: 2006 Census Statistics for Country of Birth and Language Spoken at Home exclude 'Not stated'.

• Information on Humanitarian entrants was drawn from the Settlement Reporting Facility. The Settlement Reporting Facility uses the Department of Immigration and Citizenship's settlement database to provide statistical data on permanent arrivals to Australia since January 1991. For more information on the Settlement Reporting Facility, visit: http://www.immi.gov.au/living-in-australia/delivering-assistance/settlement-reporting-facility/