Notes on the data: Birthplace & Non-English-speaking residents

People born in predominantly non-English-speaking countries resident in Australia for less than five years, 2021

Policy context: Although this indicator is far from precise, even in defining countries from which people coming to live in Australia will face a language barrier, it is included in the absence of a better measure. Other measures of relevance in this atlas are of the year in which people arrived (shown as recent or longer-term arrivals), language spoken at home and details of those arriving under Australia’s Humanitarian Program, or the Migration Program for skilled and family entrants.

In 2021, 16.9% of Australia’s population who were born in a predominantly non-English-speaking country had been in Australia for less than five years [1]. People born in this population group face a number of difficulties. For many who arrive without proficiency in English, the combination of economic struggle with adjustment to a new language and a new cultural milieu can be expected to give rise to considerable stresses. Although a relatively small group, they also pose special challenges for deliverers of health, welfare and other community services [2]. This community is also not a homogeneous group, even though there are common experiences including those relating to migration and dislocation. There is great diversity in language, culture, religion, socioeconomic status, education and age structure [3].

Reflecting this trend, the most rapidly growing non-English-speaking groups are now from Asia, with their proportion in the population increasing from 24% of the overseas-born population in 2001, to 32.9% in 2011 and to 39.7% in 2016 [3].

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2021 Census of Population and Housing General community profile Australia Canberra ABS 2022. Available from: https://www.abs.gov.au/census/guide-census-data/about-census-tools/community-profiles; accessed 25 August 2022.
Australian Institute of Health & Welfare (AIHW). Australia's welfare, 2011. (AIHW Cat. no. AUS 142). Canberra: AIHW; 2011.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Cultural diversity in Australia - Reflecting a Nation: Stories from the 2011 Census, 2012-2013. (ABS Cat. no. 2071.0). Canberra: ABS; 2012.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Cultural diversity in Australia - Reflecting Australia: Stories from the Census, 2016. (ABS Cat. no. 2071.0). Canberra: ABS; 2017 [accessed 10 August 2017]. Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/2071.0~2016~Main%20Features~Cultural%20Diversity%20Article~60

Notes: The data comprise people born in predominantly non-English-speaking countries arriving from 2017 to 2021. The year 2021 is the period 1 January 2021 to 10 August 2021 (Census Night), therefore, the data presented represent a total time of approximately 4 years and 7 months.

'Predominantly non-English-speaking countries' comprise all but the following overseas countries, designated as 'English-speaking': Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States of America.

In the data workbook, the numerator excludes the 5.3% of the population (this percentage varies across States/Territories) who did not provide their country of birth, as well as the 2.4% of the population born overseas who did not state their year of arrival: however, these records are included in the denominator.

Geography: Data available by Population Health Area, Local Government Area, Primary Health Network, Quintile of socioeconomic disadvantage of area and Quintiles within PHNs, and Remoteness Area

Numerator: People born in predominantly non-English speaking countries, and resident in Australia for less than five years

Denominator: Total population

Detail of analysis: Percent

Source: Compiled by PHIDU based on the ABS Census of Population and Housing, August 2021.