Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2017). Cultural diversity in Australia: 2016 Census data summary
https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/2071.0~2016~Main%20Features~Cultural%20Diversity%20Data%20Summary~30
Cultural diversity relates to a person’s country of birth, their ancestry, the country of birth of their parents, what languages they speak, whether they are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, and their religious affiliation. The Census collects information on many characteristics that highlight the rich cultural diversity of Australian society.
The 2016 Census shows that two thirds (67%) of the Australian population were born in Australia. Of the 6,163,667 overseas-born persons, nearly one in five (18%) had arrived since the start of 2012.
While England and New Zealand were still the next most common countries of birth after Australia, the proportion of those born overseas who were born in China and India has increased since 2011 (from 6.0% to 8.3%, and 5.6% to 7.4% respectively).
The Philippines has swapped places with Italy in the top 10 list, moving from number 8 to number 6.
Malaysia now appears in the top 10 countries of birth (replacing Scotland) and represents 0.6% of the Australian population.
| 2011 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 5 Countries | Percentage | |
| 1. Australia | 69.8% | 66.7% |
| 2. England | 4.2% | 3.9% |
| 3. New Zealand | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| 4. China | 1.5% | 2.2% |
| 5. India | 1.4% | 1.9% |
ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2011 and 2016
Ancestry is an indication of the cultural group that a person most closely identifies with.
Over 300 ancestries were separately identified in the 2016 Census. The most commonly reported ancestries were English (36%) and Australian (34%).
A further six of the leading ten ancestries reflected a European heritage. The two remaining ancestries in the top 10 were Chinese (5.6%) and Indian (4.6%).
ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2016
In 2016, there were over 300 separately identified languages spoken in Australian homes. More than one-fifth (21%) of Australians spoke a language other than English at home.
ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2016
ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2016
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has increased since 2011 from 2.5% to 2.8% of the Australian population. Further information on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is available in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Population data summary.
Religious Affliations Reported by the Australian Population, 2016
| Religious Affiliation | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| ('000) | (%) | |
| Christian | 12,201.6 | 52.1% |
| Islam | 604.2 | 2.6% |
| Buddhism | 563.7 | 2.4% |
| Hinduism | 440.3 | 1.9% |
| Sikhism | 125.9 | 0.5% |
| Judaism | 91 | 0.4% |
| Other | 95.7 | 0.4% |
| Total | 1,920.8 | 8.2% |
| No Religiona | 7,040.7 | 30.1% |
| Australiab | 23,401.9 | 100% |
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ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2016
In 2016, Christianity was the main religion reported in Australia (52%).
While the Islamic population made up only 2.6% of the total population, it was the second largest religion reported in the 2016 Census after Christianity. Islam was closely followed by Buddhism (2.4%).
The 'No Religion' count increased to almost a third of the Australian population between 2011 and 2016 (22% to 30%).
In 2016, nearly half (49%) of Australians had either been born overseas (first generation Australian) or one or both parents had been born overseas (second generation Australian).
ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2016
For Australia's overseas-born population, New South Wales was still the most popular state or territory to live in 2016 (2,072,454 people or 34% of the overseas-born population).
ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2016
