Damon Mcknight
Australia is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world, with immigrants accounting for 30% of its population in 2019, making it the eighth-largest immigrant population in the world. The country has pursued an official policy of multiculturalism since the postwar period, and its population has quadrupled since the end of World War I due to numerous waves of immigration. While the majority of Australians have European ancestry, the Asian Australian population is also growing, leading to the emergence of a Eurasian society within its major urban hubs.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Population | 27,938,600 as of 20 July 2025 |
| Population rank | 54th most populous country in the world |
| Population density | 3.6 persons per square kilometre |
| Immigrants | 30% of the population in 2019 |
| Languages | English (72%), Mandarin (2.7%), Arabic (1.4%), Vietnamese (1.3%), Cantonese (1.2%), Punjabi (0.9%) |
| Religious affiliations | Hinduism (45%), Sikhism (20.8%), Western Catholic (10.3%), No religion (7.4%), Islam (6.6%), Christianity (7.5%) |
| Ethnicities | British (67.4%), Irish (8.7%), Italian (3.8%), German (3.7%), Chinese (3.6%), Aboriginal (3%), Indian (1.7%), Greek (1.6%), Dutch (1.2%), Other (5.3%) |
| Ancestries | English, Chinese, Australian Aboriginal |
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What You'll Learn
English ancestry and language
English Australians, also known as Anglo-Australians, are Australians with ancestry that originates wholly or partially in England. In the 2021 census, 8,385,928 people, or 33% of the Australian population, stated that they had English ancestry. This is the largest self-identified ancestry in Australia. English Australians are a subset of Anglo-Celtic Australians, who are themselves a subset of European Australians.
English settlers more often came from the south than the north of England. Australians of English ancestry made up more than 50% of the population at the time of Federation in 1901. From 1922, the Empire Settlement Act assisted thousands of migrants from England. After the Second World War, even as immigration from other countries expanded dramatically, English citizens had almost unrestricted entry into Australia.
The Colony of New South Wales was established by the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1788, with the arrival of the First Fleet, and five other colonies were established in the 19th century, forming the six present-day Australian states. Large-scale immigration occurred following a series of gold rushes in the 1850s and after the First and Second World Wars. Since the end of the White Australia policy in 1973, immigrants to Australia have come from around the world, and from Asia in particular.
Although Australia has no official language, English is the first language of the majority of the population and has been entrenched as the de facto national language since the onset of British settlement. It is also the main language used in compulsory education, as well as federal, state and territorial legislatures and courts. Australian English began to diverge from British and Hiberno-English after the First Fleet established the Colony of New South Wales in 1788. Australian English arose from a dialectal melting pot created by the intermingling of early settlers who were from a variety of dialectal regions of Great Britain and Ireland, though its most significant influences were the dialects of South East England. The dialects of South East England, including the traditional Cockney dialect of London, were particularly influential on the development of the new variety.
Australian English is relatively homogeneous across the country, with only some minor regional differences in pronunciation and word choices. A limited range of word choices is strongly regional in nature, and the geographical background of individuals may be inferred if they use words that are peculiar to particular Australian states or territories. In addition, some Australians speak creole languages derived from Australian English, such as Australian Kriol, Torres Strait Creole and Norfuk.
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Asian immigration
Australia has the world's eighth-largest immigrant population, with immigrants accounting for 30% of the population in 2019. The country's population has quadrupled since the end of World War I, much of this increase stemming from immigration. Asia is the largest source of immigrants in the 21st century, with Mandarin, Cantonese, and Vietnamese among the most common languages spoken at home after English.
In 1950, the Australian government established the Colombo Plan, a program that sponsored Asian students to study or train in Australian tertiary institutions. This was followed by the removal of the dictation test requirement in 1958, and the Racial Discrimination Act in 1975, which effectively ended the White Australia policy and allowed for more Asian immigration. During the Fraser government, Australia experienced its largest intake of Asian immigrants since the Victorian gold rush due to an increase in Vietnamese refugees after the Vietnam War.
Today, immigration policy in Australia celebrates multiculturalism and promotes residency status among people of various ethnic backgrounds. Asian Australians, who made up 17.4% of the population as of the 2021 census, have been involved in the entertainment industry since the first half of the 19th century. Despite some opposition to increased immigration levels, Australia is witnessing the emergence of a ""Eurasian society" within its major urban hubs, blending European and Asian cultures within a distinct Australian context.
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Anglo-Celtic heritage
Australia has a significant Anglo-Celtic heritage, which refers to descendants of early settlers from the British Isles, including England (including Cornish), Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands. Anglo-Celtic Australians have played a pivotal role in shaping the nation's character and identity.
The precise number of Anglo-Celtic Australians is challenging to determine due to the way ancestry data is collected in the country. Census respondents can select up to two ancestries, and many individuals with Anglo-Celtic backgrounds choose two ancestries due to their long history in Australia. This can lead to both overcounts and undercounts in the data. Despite this challenge, it is estimated that 51.7% of the total Australian population selected at least one Anglo-Celtic ancestry in the 2021 census. This includes English Australians, Irish Australians, Scottish Australians, Welsh Australians, Cornish Australians, Manx Australians, and Channel Islander Australians.
The influence of Anglo-Celtic heritage is evident in various aspects of Australian society. The predominance of the English language, the parliamentary system of government, constitutional monarchy, common law legal system, and popular dishes like fish and chips and Sunday roast all reflect Australia's Anglo-Celtic roots. Additionally, sports such as cricket, rugby, and tennis, as well as the popularity of Christianity, can be traced back to the influence of Anglo-Celtic settlers.
The United Kingdom has been a significant source of immigrants to Australia, with over one million UK-born people living in the country since the 1971 Census. In 2005-06, 22,143 people born in the UK settled in Australia, representing 21.4% of all migrants. This long history of immigration from the UK has contributed to the strong Anglo-Celtic presence in Australia.
It is worth noting that the term "Anglo-Celtic" has received some criticism for erasing historical distinctions between English and Celtic settlers. The term does not account for the political and social segregation between these groups, particularly between English and Irish Australians.
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Aboriginal ancestry
Australia is a diverse country with a rich history of immigration and colonisation. Before the British colonisation in 1788, Australia was home to over 500 distinct Indigenous groups, each with its own language, culture, and belief system. These Indigenous Australians, also known as Aboriginal Australians, have a long and complex history that dates back thousands of years.
Genetic and archaeological studies suggest that the first Aboriginal Australians may have arrived on the continent about 60,000 to 75,000 years ago, with some evidence of human activity dating back 65,000 years. Over time, these ancient people dispersed across the continent, differentiating into distinct groups and settling across the land within 6,000 years. By the time of British colonisation, the Indigenous population was estimated to be between 300,000 and 2,400,000.
Aboriginal Australians are genetically most closely related to Melanesian and Papuan people, with some studies suggesting a connection to Ancient Ancestral South Indians, Andamanese, and East Asians. They are believed to have originated in Asia, specifically the insular Southeast Asian region, and made their way to Australia via a southern route dispersal. The modelling of their migration routes is based on interdisciplinary data and provides valuable insights into their ancient movements.
The Aboriginal people of Australia have a unique cultural heritage that includes spiritual beliefs, such as the Dreamtime, and a deep connection to the land. They have faced significant challenges throughout history, including displacement from their territories due to continued immigration and divisive policies that affected those with mixed ancestry. Today, Aboriginal Australians make up about 3% of the country's population, and their languages are still spoken, with fewer than 20 still in daily use by all age groups.
In conclusion, the Aboriginal ancestry of Australia is an integral part of the country's history and cultural fabric. Their long and resilient presence in the country has shaped the nation's character, and their ongoing contributions continue to enrich Australia's diverse society.
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Multiculturalism
Australia has pursued an official policy of multiculturalism since the postwar period, and it has the world's eighth-largest immigrant population, with immigrants accounting for 30% of the population in 2019. The country has one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the world, with people from over 200 different countries speaking more than 200 languages.
The meaning of multiculturalism has evolved since its formal introduction in Australia. Initially, it referred to the need for acceptance of the diverse cultural backgrounds of Australian citizens. Over time, it came to signify the right of migrants to express their cultural identities within mainstream Australia. Today, it often refers to the notion that people in Australia have multiple cultural or ethnic backgrounds.
The evolution of multiculturalism in Australia can be understood through its history of colonisation and immigration. Before British colonisation in 1788, over 500 Indigenous groups inhabited the land, each with its own language, culture, and belief system. British settlers became the majority group, and by the mid-1800s, most people born in Australia were of British or Irish descent. The discovery of gold attracted more immigrants from Europe, China, and India, further diversifying the population.
In the postwar years, Australia experienced a significant cultural shift from a monocultural, British-oriented society to a multicultural one. Between 1945 and 1960, the population nearly doubled, with an 8% increase in the proportion of non-British individuals. This period marked the beginning of Australia's embrace of multiculturalism, with the government enacting policies to support ethnic organisations and increase assistance for migrants experiencing settlement hardships.
Despite the overall success and positive impact of multiculturalism, some Australians have opposed increased immigration levels, particularly from Asian countries. The government has responded by adopting and strengthening multicultural policies and allocating more funds for social programs to support disadvantaged groups, including native populations.
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Frequently asked questions
The most common nationality in Australia is British, with 67.4% of the population. This includes English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh Australians.
The second most common nationality in Australia is Irish, at 8.7% of the population.
The least common nationalities in Australia are Greek and Dutch, at 1.2% and 1.6% of the population, respectively.
English is the most common language spoken in Australia, with 72% of the population speaking only English at home.
