Key Victorian multicultural stats from the 2016 Census.

IDENTITY Communications, the intelligent multicultural marketing agency has compiled key multicultural data from the latest Census:

  • Top languages spoken in Victoria, including those with low English language proficiency.
  • Top local government areas ranked by the number of residents who speak a language other than English at home.

Top languages spoken in Victoria (other than English).

Mandarin speakers in Victoria has increased by 85% in the five years between the last two Censuses (2011-2016). It has overtaken Italian and Greek to be the most spoken language, other than English in Victoria. Over the same period, Italian speakers have declined by 10%, Greek by 5%, while Vietnamese has increased by 19% and Cantonese by 7%.

RankLanguageHigh ProficiencyLow ProficiencyTotalNot applicableGrand Total
1Mandarin141989487131907021091191796
2Italian94897158351107321548112270
3Greek90296193901096861023110706
4Vietnamese7060232025102627805103429
5Arabic66071126397871087879589
6Cantonese58939186767761546578078
7Punjabi4972258535557559356166
8Hindi4841924405085937951236
9Sinhalese3509320493714228137428
10Spanish3125638953515134835492
11Turkish2549060283151831831833
12Macedonian2435548262918132129487
13Tamil2308823492543723025664
14Urdu2092820432297122823204
15Tagalog/Filipino3930911424045137340828
16Croatian1746428132027723620508
17German189385361947423619715
18French184097381914717119310
19Russian1446330871755013517684
20Serbian1394329181686118917055
21Malayalam1545913651682413116952
22Maltese1543312411667422216895
23Indonesian1554311231666612316781
24Persian (excluding Dari)1307531971627214916433
25Korean1106143331539412815519
26Polish1319418401503414115177
27Gujarati1360913511496010715064
28Khmer953550451458013414723
29Telugu12090996130867313160
30Dari877834571223515612386
31Thai937721891156611111669
32Samoan105238861140920511611
33Japanese97651625113909411483
34Bengali10189730109197810997
35Nepali9382957103397010413
36Non-verbal, so described3617036739718069210
37Hazaraghi5746319289381219061
38Dutch826621584811098600
39Chaldean Neo-Aramaic543022907720557784
40Assyrian Neo-Aramaic546920347503727571
41Somali6283105473371197454
42Portuguese64717837254487299
43Chinese, nfd448425717055407097
44Albanian561911366755736832
45Hungarian59507086658736729
46Bosnian48259825807755884
47Min Nan48009195719305750
48Afrikaans5451775528365563
49Hakka396515365501355532
50Karen241427155129435177
51Hebrew49621735135315172
52Romanian45585175075465127
53Malay46412704911334946
54Dinka39718274798754874
55Pashto352211054627614691
56Inadequately described2810112039303484278
57Burmese260015414141344177
58Marathi37001583858223878
59Amharic32484193667653724
60Kannada34631703633203654
61Tongan29302693199613257
62Chin Haka147416543128243142
63Auslan21756292804742870
64Ukrainian24733342807362839
65Southern Asian Languages, nfd25612542815312839
66Swahili21292902419242443
67Mauritian Creole22141462360202367
68Tigrinya18353492184342218
69Shona2062352097382129
70Oromo17353212056452104
71Armenian17682201988142004
72Lao15024781980201999
73Serbo-Croatian/Yugoslavian, so described16122811893221911
74Swedish183464189861910
75Burmese and Related Languages, nec813994180781823
76Slovene16061051711231740
77Maori (New Zealand)1607481655261674
78Kurdish11384531591141606
79Nuer13562151571261599
80Slovak1410171158171592
81Czech14341141548101564
82Maori (Cook Island)1368801448271464
83Yiddish11631021265321295
84French Creole, nfd1168381206151217
85Danish1051201071171092
86Latvian97037100771008
87Fijian95328981191007
88Konkani912479597965
89Finnish888679558964
90Wu6403009400938
91Creole, nfd7854082510847
92Bisaya764388025811
93Cebuano670266967705
94Bulgarian636596950698
95Yoruba65686647675
96Lithuanian605366419654
97African Languages, nfd541776188631
98Zomi2413756166619
99Hmong37717955614573
100African Languages, nec5006256212572
101Sindhi521425635570
102Rohingya21933255115566
103Fijian Hindustani5061351911530
104Norwegian493215147520
105Harari449515009517
106Akan449274767484
107Igbo4212144210450
108Irish395134085412
109Tibetan2631343970395
110Burmese and Related Languages, nfd1871933803382
111Indo-Aryan, nfd3112133211348
112Tetum277533306337
113Iranic, nfd2141153290331
114Kirundi (Rundi)228853139319
115Tok Pisin (Neomelanesian)30283103314
116Welsh28552904301
117Estonian272172893293
118Krio269202898289
119Uygur196782740271
120Timorese186692553259
121Gaelic (Scotland)23692454243
122Oriya218172350235
123Tulu224122360230
124Indo-Aryan, nec191212120213
125Ndebele19301933200
126Shilluk175211963199
127Sign Languages, nfd1058418911199
128Pidgin, nfd18631890184
129Other Southern Asian Languages174101840183
130Mongolian129451740177
131Ilonggo (Hiligaynon)16851730175
132Bari144221663173
133Dhivehi16171680172
134Australian Indigenous Languages, nfd14791568155
135Luganda13491437145
136Nauruan14601460145
137Assamese12831310137
138IIokano12801280135
139Catalan124141383132
140Mon-Khmer, nec90421320126
141Ewe102131150116
142Swiss, so described11401140115
143Cypriot, so described101171180115
144Acholi91131043113
145Zulu10051050109
146Tswana10801080109
147Tigre88151030105
148Niue10901090102
149Azeri93101030100
150Latin871198499
151Romany761692397
152Kinyarwanda (Rwanda)672188397
153Dan (Gio-Dan)821092393
154Uzbek652186092
155Kashmiri80888089
156Bemba79079083
157Belorussian761490082
158Georgian522375075
159Pampangan70070074
160Mandinka581371065
161Nyanja (Chichewa)57057064
162Yorta Yorta58058059
163Tuvaluan56359058
164Hausa48755057
165Liberian (Liberian English)43952057
166Southeast Asian Austronesian Languages, nec42648054
167Gilbertese51354054
168Turkmen47956053
169Dravidian, nec48351050
170Key Word Sign Australia202444047
171Fulfulde36339646
172Aromunian (Macedo-Romanian)40545045
173Madi41950045
174Ga381149043
175Lingala32032042
176Invented Languages36036042
177Southeast Asian Austronesian Languages, nfd42042041
178Icelandic42345040
179Kikuyu41041039
180Eastern European Languages, nfd32840036
181Luo24428036
182Pacific Austronesian Languages, nec271037036
183Papua New Guinea Languages, nfd35035036
184Mon201434035
185Bikol32032034
186Other Southern European Languages, nec34034033
187Balinese24024033
188Mandaean (Mandaic)30030332
189Loma (Lorma)23730032
190Bislama32032032
191American Languages29332031
192Seychelles Creole23023030
193Moro (Nuba Moro)18321030
194Spanish Creole, nfd28028030
195Mann23326029
196Motu (HiriMotu)23528029
197Aboriginal English, so described25025028
198Xhosa25025027
199Tokelauan23023026
200Czechoslovakian, so described23023025
201Balochi20020025
202Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)14014325
203Wiradjuri19019024
204Krahn15015624
205Papua New Guinea Languages, nec20828024
206Anuak14923023
207Nyungar21021019
208Celtic, nfd18725018
209Bassa19019018
210Warlpiri12012017
211Frisian12012015
212Tatar12012015
213Pitjantjatjara18018015
214Rotuman15015015
215Sign Languages, nec11415015
216Javanese19019014
217Other Eastern Asian Languages, nec11314014
218Kriol18018014
219Paakantyi11011013
220Pacific Austronesian Languages, nfd17017013
221Yapese12012013
222Turkic, nec15015012
223Murrinh Patha10010012
224Wergaia13316012
225Chinese, nec909011
226Other Australian Indigenous Languages, nec10010011
227Solomon Islands Pijin10010011
228Letzeburgish14014010
229Other Southeast Asian Languages303010
230Yolngu Matha, nfd303010
231Oceanian Pidgins and Creoles, nec404010
232Iranic, nec70709
233Middle Eastern Semitic Languages, nec1001009
234Ngarrindjeri90909
235Portuguese Creole, nfd1201209
236Southeast Asian Languages, nfd50508
237Tai, nec551008
238Iban34708
239Celtic, nec70707
240Norf'k-Pitcairn70707
241Basque60606
242Arrernte, nec90906
243Manyjilyjarra60606
244Kanai60606
245Kpelle00006
246Tiwi50505
247Wangkatha40405
248Oceanian Pidgins and Creoles, nfd90905
249Scandinavian, nfd40404
250Iberian Romance, nec30304
251Yidiny40404
252Torres Strait Island Languages, nfd40404
253Wajarri50504
254Finnish and Related Languages, nec00003
255Iberian Romance, nfd40403
256Other Eastern European Languages, nec00003
257Djambarrpuyngu30303
258Guugu Yimidhirr30303
259Cape York Peninsula Languages, nec30303
260Yankunytjatjara40403
261Bandjalang30303
262Bidjara30303
263Other Languages, nfd30303
Total1,259,541262,9771,522,51816,2121,538,793

Note: “Not Stated” is not included. Low Proficiency include “Not Well” or “Not at All”, High Proficiency include “Well” or “Very Well” in relation to English language proficiency.

Top local government areas (LGAs) ranked by the number of residents who speak a language other than English at home in Victoria.

Brimbank LGA has the highest number of residents who speak a language at home with over 113,000 people followed by Casey. However, in terms of percentage of residents who speak a language other than English at home, Greater Dandenong tops the list with 64% followed by Brimbank.

RankLGATotalLOTE% LOTE
1Brimbank (C)19431511345458
2Casey (C)29929610727036
3Greater Dandenong (C)1520529802064
4Monash (C)1826179155350
5Wyndham (C)2171188916841
6Hume (C)1973768855145
7Whittlesea (C)1974908697244
8Melbourne (C)1359646545248
9Moreland (C)1625646204738
10Whitehorse (C)1620805951037
11Darebin (C)1467225434037
12Manningham (C)1162604941042
13Boroondara (C)1672324557027
14Glen Eira (C)1408754436831
15Melton (C)1354434358232
16Kingston (C)1513893935026
17Knox (C)1541093882425
18Moonee Valley (C)1166743471830
19Maribyrnong (C)822853444342
20Banyule (C)1218692643122
21Hobsons Bay (C)887772575729
22Greater Geelong (C)2334262480911
23Stonnington (C)1038312406723
24Port Phillip (C)1008632076121
25Yarra (C)866521931622
26Maroondah (C)1103721872117
27Frankston (C)1341441524211
28Bayside (C)970921423615
29Yarra Ranges (S)149542107087
30Cardinia (S)941301056911
31Greater Shepparton (C)63839939715
32Mornington Peninsula (S)15499684025
33Nillumbik (S)6127456359
34Ballarat (C)10168955025
35Mildura (RC)53878512610
36Greater Bendigo (C)11047951035
37Latrobe (C)7325748377
38Mitchell (S)4091629487
39Swan Hill (RC)20587237112
40Wodonga (C)3934723646
41Macedon Ranges (S)4610320644
42Baw Baw (S)4847719224
43Moorabool (S)3182016915
44Wellington (S)4298616214
45East Gippsland (S)4504115894
46Bass Coast (S)3280615775
47Warrnambool (C)3365514554
48No usual address (Vic.)7572139618
49Moira (S)2910813355
50Wangaratta (RC)2831013025
51Surf Coast (S)2940211804
52Campaspe (S)3705410913
53South Gippsland (S)287009723
54Alpine (S)123359468
55Colac-Otway (S)209718854
56Horsham (RC)196417444
57Hepburn (S)153277165
58Golden Plains (S)216876493
59Mount Alexander (S)187626373
60Glenelg (S)195564432
61Murrindindi (S)137304323
62Southern Grampians (S)159414273
63Ararat (RC)115994214
64Benalla (RC)138633933
65Indigo (S)159533642
66Northern Grampians (S)114363613
67Moyne (S)164993582
68Mansfield (S)85893434
69Strathbogie (S)102723403
70Central Goldfields (S)129933253
71Hindmarsh (S)57253085
72Corangamite (S)160532682
73Loddon (S)75122223
74Gannawarra (S)105482082
75Buloke (S)62021633
76Yarriambiack (S)66751612
77Towong (S)59861553
78Pyrenees (S)72401522
79West Wimmera (S)3905822
80Queenscliffe (B)2854813
Total5926624153883126

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Status by Age and Gender in Victoria.

0-45-1415-2425-4445-6465+Total
Males2,7525,2844,5835,7604,1011,13723,617
Females2,7255,1234,4866,0174,4291,37924,159
Total5,47610,4149,07311,7768,5382,51847,795

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