Multiculturalism

The population of South Australia is characterised by a great diversity of cultural mores, languages spoken, systems of belief and family types.

Approximately 1 in 5 South Australians are born overseas, with about half of this group born in English-speaking countries, and the other half born in countries where English is not the dominant language. Among the groups from non-English speaking countries, the majority were born in Europe or Vietnam.

Statistics at a glance

• South Australians were born in more than 200 different countries.
• People born overseas number approximately 300 000 or 20% of the State’s total population.
• People born in Europe comprise approximately 220 000 individuals or 75% of all foreign born.
• People born in Asia comprise approximately 40 000 or 14% of the overseas born.
• In the Australian Census 2001, approximately 23 000 South Australians (or 1.6% of the total population) identified themselves as Indigenous Australians.
• Approximately 12% of all South Australians speak languages other than English at home, including approximately 4 000 persons who speak Indigenous languages.

Please note, this information has been sourced directly from the Multicultural South Australia website. Please reference this website for more information: www.multicultural.sa.gov.au