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Australia is a culturally diverse country with a variety of languages spoken across the nation. English is the de facto official and national language of Australia, with 72% of the population speaking only English at home. However, the proportion of Australians who speak a language other than English has been increasing over the years. In 2021, 22.8% of the population reported using a language other than English at home, with Spanish being the tenth most common language spoken, with 0.7% of census respondents. This is due to the immigration of refugees and displaced persons from non-English speaking countries, as well as the promotion of the Spanish language by the Spanish-speaking community in Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of people who speak a language other than English at home in 2011 | 18% |
| Number of people who speak a language other than English at home in 2021 | 22.8% |
| Number of people who speak Spanish at home according to the 2011 Census | 117,493 |
| Ranking of Spanish among widely used languages in Australia | 8th |
| Percentage of people in Greater Sydney who speak Spanish at home | 1.2% |
| Percentage of people in Australia who speak Mandarin at home | 2.7% |
| Percentage of people in Australia who speak Spanish at home | 0.7% |
| Number of Spain-born people in Victoria in 1954 | 374 |
| Number of Spain-born people in Victoria in 1966 | 3,143 |
| Number of Spain-born people in Victoria in 1986 | 4,067 |
| Number of Spain-born people in Victoria in 2016 | 3,523 |
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What You'll Learn
- Spanish is the eighth most widely spoken language in Australia
- The proportion of Australians speaking a language other than English has increased over time
- There are Spanish-language media outlets in Australia
- There are Spanish-speaking communities in all Australian capital cities
- The Spain-born population in Victoria increased from 374 in 1954 to 3,143 in 1966
Spanish is the eighth most widely spoken language in Australia
Spanish-speaking communities exist in all Australian capital cities, and Spanish-language media is available in the form of newspapers, radio stations, and TV programs. However, Spanish is still less commonly heard in public than languages like Punjabi, Hindi, Hmong, Nepalese, Italian, Macedonian, Greek, Arabic, and Iranian languages.
The prevalence of Spanish speakers varies across Australia, with higher concentrations in Sydney and Melbourne. In Greater Sydney, 1.2% of the population speaks Spanish at home. The inner suburbs of Sydney, in particular, have seen an influx of Spanish-speaking immigrants in recent years. The community in Victoria grew from 374 in 1954 to 3,143 in 1966 due to the 1958 Spanish-Australian migration agreement, which provided assisted passages to Spanish migrants escaping poverty and hunger. However, the community has declined since then due to economic improvements in Spain, with the 2016 Spain-born community in Victoria numbering 3,523.
Spanish is one of the nine Key National Languages identified by the Australian National Policy on Languages. The choice of second language taught in schools is influenced by the importance of certain language communities in the area. The increase in the Spanish-speaking population has led to the inclusion of Spanish in the languages taught in Australian schools.
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The proportion of Australians speaking a language other than English has increased over time
English is the de facto official and national language of Australia. It was introduced to the country in 1788 with British colonisation and gradually overtook the hundreds of Indigenous languages spoken at the time. Today, 72% of Australians speak only English at home.
However, the proportion of Australians speaking a language other than English has increased over time. In 2011, 18% of people spoke a language other than English at home. By 2021, this number had risen to 22.8% (or 22.3% according to another source). This increase is due in part to the rise in the migrant population over the past decade, with the largest changes in language use between 2016 and 2021 coming from non-English speakers. In 2021, the ten most common languages spoken at home in Australia besides English were Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Punjabi, Greek, Italian, Hindi, Spanish, and Nepali.
Spanish is the eighth most widely used language in Australia besides English, with 117,493 residents speaking Spanish at home according to the 2011 census. There are Spanish-speaking communities in all Australian capital cities, and Spanish-language media is available in the form of newspapers, radio stations, and TV programs. However, Spanish is still relatively rare in Australia compared to other languages, and one source states that it is much less common to hear Spanish in Australia than in the US.
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There are Spanish-language media outlets in Australia
Spanish is an important community language in Australia. According to the 2011 Census, 117,493 Australian residents speak Spanish at home, making it the eighth most widely used language in the country, apart from English. There are important Spanish-speaking communities in all Australian capital cities, served by a network of Spanish-language newspapers, radio stations, and TV programs. However, one source notes that there is no Spanish-language media in Australia, and that Spanish speakers would have to "dig for it".
SBS, an Australian public broadcaster, broadcasts a 45-minute daily news program in Spanish, which is free to access. SBS Español publishes articles and videos covering Australian and Latin American news in Spanish.
Spanish is one of the nine Key National Languages identified by the Australian National Policy on Languages. The choice of second language taught in schools is influenced by the importance of the language to the community in the area.
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There are Spanish-speaking communities in all Australian capital cities
Spanish is an important community language in Australia. According to the 2011 Census, 117,493 Australian residents speak Spanish at home, making it the eighth most widely used language in the country, apart from English. There are Spanish-speaking communities in all Australian capital cities, served by Spanish-language media like newspapers, radio stations, and TV programs.
The proportion of Australians speaking a language other than English has increased over time, influenced by waves of immigration. In 2021, 5.8 million people (22.8% of the population) reported using a language other than English at home. While English remains the de facto national language, the diverse linguistic landscape of Australia includes a range of languages, reflecting the country's multicultural nature.
In the capital cities, the presence of Spanish-speaking communities is notable. For example, in Sydney, certain areas like the eastern suburbs and northern beaches have experienced an influx of Spanish-speaking immigrants, making it more common to hear Spanish spoken in these localities. Melbourne also has a local Spanish-speaking population in a suburb near the city.
The Spain-born population in Australia witnessed a significant increase following the 1958 Spanish-Australian migration agreement, which provided assisted passages to Spanish migrants. This agreement contributed to a growing Spanish-speaking community in Victoria, particularly in the Geelong area, where many are employed as professionals and tradespeople.
Today, Spanish-language media and community organizations support Spanish speakers in Australia. SBS, for instance, broadcasts Spanish-language news and current affairs programs. Additionally, groups like the Spanish Welfare Centre (CELAS) provide counseling, community development, and educational programs for the Spain-born community in Victoria.
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The Spain-born population in Victoria increased from 374 in 1954 to 3,143 in 1966
Spanish is an important community language in Australia. According to the 2011 Census, 117,493 Australian residents speak Spanish at home, making it the eighth most widely used language in the country, apart from English. There are Spanish-speaking communities in all Australian capital cities, served by Spanish-language media. The proportion of Australians speaking a language other than English increased after the Second World War due to the immigration of refugees and displaced persons from European countries. In the 21st century, there was another sharp increase in immigration, especially from Asia. In 2021, 5.8 million people (22.8% of the population) reported using a language other than English at home.
While Spanish is a significant community language in Australia, it is not as widely spoken as in the US. One source notes that there is no Spanish-language media in Australia, and another states that Spanish communities are rare outside of Sydney and Melbourne. However, another source mentions that there are Spanish-language newspapers, radio stations, and TV programs in Australia, including SBS broadcasts of news and current affairs programs from Spain and Chile.
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Frequently asked questions
Spanish is the tenth most spoken language in Australia nationwide. In 2021, 5.8 million people (22.8% of the population) reported using a language other than English at home. Of these, 0.7% spoke Spanish. While it is not as common as other languages like Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, and Punjabi, there are still important Spanish-speaking communities in all Australian capital cities.
There are Spanish-language newspapers, radio stations, and TV programs in Australia. SBS broadcasts a daily 45-minute news service from Spain and a weekly current affairs program from Chile. However, some Australians note that Spanish-language media is not as prevalent as English-language media and can be difficult to find.
The number of people in Australia who speak a language other than English at home has increased over time. Between 2016 and 2021, this number grew by 804,915 people (16.6%). The Spain-born population in Australia increased from the late 1950s due to the 1958 Spanish-Australian migration agreement, which provided assisted passages to Spanish migrants. However, economic improvements in Spain slowed Spanish immigration to Australia in subsequent decades.
