Map 1 Australia’s population distribution - 30 June 2004

Map 1

Australia’s population distribution - 30 June 2004

Geographic distribution of Indigenous Australians

11. While most of the Australian population is concentrated along the eastern and south-west coasts, the map below shows the Indigenous population is more widely spread. This partly reflects the higher level of urbanisation among the non-Indigenous population than the Indigenous population. Indigenous peoples are much more likely to live in very remote areas than the non-Indigenous population.

Map 2

Australia’s indigenous population distribution - 30 June 2001

Source: Census of Population and Housing: Population Growth and Distribution, Australia, 2001 (2035.0).

Country of birth

12. In 2004 the number of overseas-born Australians was over 4.5 million, or 25 per cent of the total population. Over the past 100 years, the range of countries of birth has increased substantially.

Table 2

Main countries of birth of the population

	1954 (a)	1961 (a)	1971 (a)	1981 (a)	1994 (b)	2005 (b)
	‘000	‘000	‘000	‘000	‘000	‘000
United Kingdom (c)	664.2	755.4	1 081.3	1 120.9	1 223.5	1 137.4
New Zealand	43.4	47.0	74.1	160.7	295.9	455.1
Italy	119.9	228.3	288.3	275.0	264.1	224.3
China (excl. SARs &   Taiwan Prov.)	10.3	14.5	17.1	25.2	102.2	191.2
Vietnam	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	40.7	150.4	177.7
Greece	25.9	77.3	159.0	145.8	143.4	127.2
India	12.0	14.2	28.7	41.0	75.6	138.7
Philippines	0.2	0.4	2.3	14.8	93.2	129.4
Germany	65.4	109.3	110.0	109.3	119.9	115.2
South Africa	6.0	7.9	12.2	26.5	57.0	113.8
Malaysia	2.3	5.8	14.4	30.5	81.6	100.3
Netherlands	52.0	102.1	98.6	95.1	97.0	87.7
Lebanon	3.9	7.3	23.9	49.4	77.2	85.3
Hong Kong (SAR of   China)	1.6	3.5	5.4	15.3	74.7	76.2
Total overseas-born	1 286.5	1 778.8	2 546.4	3 128.1	4 093.6	4 829.5
Australia	7 700.1	8 729.4	10 173.1	11 388.8	13 761.1	15 499.1
Total population (d)	8 986.5	10 508.2	12 719.5	14 516.9	17 856.7	20 328.6

Source: ABS data available on request, Estimated Resident Population; Migration, Australia (3412.0).

(a) Census counts;

(b) Estimated resident population at 30 June;

(c) Includes Ireland in 1954 and 1961;

(d) Includes country of birth “Not stated” and “At sea”.

13. The 2001 census showed that 26 per cent of persons born in Australia had at least one overseas-born parent; that is, they were second generation Australians. Of Australian-born children with at least one overseas born parent 43 per cent had both parents born overseas,

35 per cent had their father born overseas and 22 per cent their mother born overseas. The variety and size of second generation populations reflect past migration and intermarriage patterns.

Language of population by mother tongue

14. Even though English is Australia’s national language, due to cultural diversity in the population over 200 languages are spoken in the community. The 2001 census indicated
that 2.8 million people (16 per cent of the population) spoke a language other than English at home, which represents an increase of 213,100 people or 8 per cent since 1996.

15. Over 50,000 people spoke an Australian Indigenous language (including Australian Creoles), which equates to 12 per cent of all Indigenous Australians and less than 1 per cent of the total Australian population.

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