Australia's Cultural Diversity

Australia's unique history has shaped the diversity of its people, their cultures, and their lifestyles. Today, Australia is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse populations in the world. This diversity is a central feature of modern Australian life. It presents exciting challenges and opportunities for public service providers and commercial organisations alike.

Cultural Diversity Statistics

• A migrant arrives in Australia every 1 minute and 29 seconds  

• Almost 400 different languages, including indigenous languages, are spoken collectively by Australia’s almost 22 million population 
  
  
• Collectively Australians identify with more than 270 ancestries  
  
  
• Some 75% of Australia’s population identify with an ancestry other than Australian
  
  
• More than a quarter of Australia's 20m population was born in one of 200 overseas countries
  
  
• Two out of every five people have at least one parent born overseas 
  
  
• In the 2009/2010 financial year the three largest birthplaces of settler arrivals to Australia were New Zealand, China and India  
  
  
• In terms of net migration per capita, Australia is ranked 18th (2008 Data) ahead of Canada, the USA and most of Europe
• Australia’s population is projected to grow by 27.2 million by 2026, with net migration expected to account for 55% of the total growth and more than two-thirds coming from non Anglo-Celtic backgrounds