Forget the idea of a simple Anglo outpost; modern Australia is a vibrant tapestry where only a third of people claim English ancestry, over a quarter are born overseas, and the symphony of languages spoken in homes stretches from Mandarin and Arabic to Punjabi and Torres Strait Creole.
Key Takeaways
- 33.0% of the population reported English ancestry (2021 Census)
- 29.9% reported Australian ancestry
- 9.5% reported Irish ancestry
- 66.9% born in Australia
- 3.6% born in England
- 2.6% born in India
- 72.0% speak English only at home
- 2.7% speak Mandarin at home
- 1.4% speak Arabic at home
- 38.9% reported No religion
- 20.0% Catholic
- 9.8% Anglican
- 3.2% Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population (812,728 people, 2021 Census)
- 3.0% of NSW population is Indigenous
- 4.6% of QLD population is Indigenous
Australia's population is a highly diverse blend of ancestries, languages, and faiths.
Ancestry
- 33.0% of the population reported English ancestry (2021 Census)
- 29.9% reported Australian ancestry
- 9.5% reported Irish ancestry
- 8.6% reported Scottish ancestry
- 5.5% reported Chinese ancestry
- 4.0% reported German ancestry
- 4.0% reported Italian ancestry
- 3.1% reported Indian ancestry
- 1.7% reported Dutch ancestry
- 1.7% reported Greek ancestry
- 2.1% reported New Zealander ancestry
- 1.6% reported Croatian ancestry
- 1.3% reported Lebanese ancestry
- 1.2% reported Polish ancestry
- 1.0% reported Australian Aboriginal ancestry
- 2.8% reported Filipino ancestry
- 1.4% reported Maltese ancestry
- 1.1% reported South African ancestry
- 0.9% reported Macedonian ancestry
- 0.8% reported Spanish ancestry
- 2.4% reported Vietnamese ancestry
- 1.5% reported Turkish ancestry
- 1.0% reported Egyptian ancestry
- 0.7% reported French ancestry
- 0.6% reported Serbian ancestry
- 3.2% reported Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ancestry combined
- 0.5% reported Hungarian ancestry
- 0.4% reported Russian ancestry
- 0.3% reported Ukrainian ancestry
Ancestry Interpretation
Despite a third of the population claiming English roots, Australia’s family tree is a vibrant global forest, proving that a nation can honour its British past while being decisively shaped by the world.
Country of Birth
- 66.9% born in Australia
- 3.6% born in England
- 2.6% born in India
- 2.2% born in Mainland China
- 2.1% born in New Zealand
- 1.7% born in the Philippines
- 1.5% born in Vietnam
- 1.3% born in Nepal
- 1.2% born in Lebanon
- 1.1% born in Italy
- 1.0% born in South Africa
- 1.0% born in Afghanistan
- 0.9% born in Pakistan
- 0.9% born in Germany
- 0.8% born in Greece
- 0.8% born in Malaysia
- 0.7% born in Iraq
- 0.7% born in Sri Lanka
- 0.6% born in Fiji
- 0.6% born in Iran
- 0.5% born in Syria
- 0.5% born in Thailand
- 0.5% born in Indonesia
- 0.4% born in Croatia
- 0.4% born in Korea, South
- 27.6% of population born overseas (2021)
Country of Birth Interpretation
Australia proudly maintains a long-standing local majority while simultaneously and artfully remixing nearly every continent in real-time.
Indigenous Diversity
- 3.2% Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population (812,728 people, 2021 Census)
- 3.0% of NSW population is Indigenous
- 4.6% of QLD population is Indigenous
- 2.4% of VIC population is Indigenous
- 3.3% of WA population is Indigenous
- 8.2% of NT population is Indigenous
- 91% of Indigenous population identify as Aboriginal only
- 4.2% identify as Torres Strait Islander only
- 4.8% identify as both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
- 38% of Indigenous population live in NSW
- 29% live in QLD
- 16% live in WA
- 25% of Indigenous Australians live in Greater capital city areas
- 37% in regional areas
- 37% in remote areas
- 50.4% of Indigenous population are female
- Median age of Indigenous population is 24 years
- 32.6% of Indigenous Australians speak an Indigenous language at home
- 58% of Torres Strait Islander people speak Torres Strait Creole
- Over 250 Indigenous languages spoken in Australia
- 18.7% of Indigenous aged 15+ have a university qualification
Indigenous Diversity Interpretation
While these numbers showcase a vibrant and resilient culture that predates Australia itself, they also starkly illustrate the ongoing legacy of colonial disruption, with the majority of the First Nations population still living outside major cities and a median age half that of the non-Indigenous population highlighting profound disparities.
Languages
- 72.0% speak English only at home
- 2.7% speak Mandarin at home
- 1.4% speak Arabic at home
- 1.2% speak Cantonese at home
- 1.2% speak Vietnamese at home
- 0.9% speak Punjabi at home
- 0.8% speak Hindi at home
- 0.8% speak Gujarati at home
- 0.8% speak Italian at home
- 0.7% speak Greek at home
- 0.6% speak Spanish at home
- 0.6% speak Tagalog at home
- 0.5% speak Nepali at home
- 0.4% speak Turkish at home
- 0.4% speak Tamil at home
- 0.4% speak Samoan at home
- 0.3% speak Korean at home
- 0.3% speak Malayalam at home
- 0.3% speak Portuguese at home
- 0.3% speak German at home
- 0.3% speak Persian at home
- 0.2% speak French at home
- 0.2% speak Dari at home
- 26.2% of population speaks a language other than English at home
- 0.2% speak Filipino/Tagalog variants at home
Languages Interpretation
So, while the default setting for Australian households remains stubbornly English, nearly a third of the country is quietly conducting a far more interesting and multilingual reality show behind closed doors.
Religion
- 38.9% reported No religion
- 20.0% Catholic
- 9.8% Anglican
- 3.2% Hinduism
- 3.1% Islam
- 2.7% Buddhism
- 1.9% Sikhism
- 1.3% Christianity nfd
- 1.2% Uniting Church
- 1.1% Pentecostal
- 0.9% Presbyterian and Reformed
- 0.8% Baptist
- 0.7% Other Protestant
- 0.6% Eastern Orthodox
- 0.5% Jehovah's Witnesses
- 0.4% Latter-Day Saints (Mormons)
- 0.4% Oriental Orthodox
- 0.3% Judaism
- 52.1% Christian total
- 43.9% have a religious affiliation
- 0.2% Jainism
- 0.1% Baha'i
Religion Interpretation
In a land where the biggest faith is now 'no faith,' the remaining spiritual tapestry is a rich and crowded patchwork, with a dominant Christian quilt being steadily, and colorfully, re-threaded.