Australia’s various well-known and lesser known languages, with facts and figures about how many people speak each language, to how many Australian words come from a particular language.
Although we are a multi-cultural country, English is the national and official language of Australia. At least 17% of people living in Australia come from a non-English speaking culture and speak a non-English language at home. Over 200 different languages are spoken in Australia including 45 indigenous languages.
See also Australian Slang
Languages | 1996* | Languages | 1996* |
Italian | 367,300 | Tagalog (Filipino) | 67,300 |
Greek | 259,000 | Croatian | 66,700 |
Cantonese | 190,100 | Polish | 61,000 |
Arabic/Lebanese | 162,000 | Maltese | 44,700 |
Vietnamese | 134,000 | Indigenous languages & Creoles | 44,200 |
German | 96,700 | Turkish | 42,200 |
Mandarin | 87,300 | Netherlandic (Dutch/Flemish) | 40,200 |
Spanish | 86,900 | All other | 656,900 |
Macedonian | 68,100 | Total | 2,474,600 |
* Excluding kids under 5 years
Updated August 2011. You may notice that we show information from a variety of dates. We are unable to find the same type of information for more recent dates than what we show here. Note: This information is for entertainment purposes. We assume no liability resulting from any errors or omissions. Translation . . . we’ve done our best to bring you accurate information. For official facts and figures, please visit any of the many Australian government websites available such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics.