People in Australia who were born in China

Demographics & education

In the 2011 Census, there were 318,969 people in Australia who were born in China. Of these 44.4% were male and 55.6% were female.

Of the population born in China who usually live in Australia, 3.7% were aged 0 - 14 years and 9.9% were aged 65 years and over. The median age of people in Australia who were born in China was 35 years.

Of people in Australia aged 15 years and over who were born in China, 54.8% were married, 1.7% were separated, and 5.6% were divorced.

Of people who usually live in Australia and who were born in China the median age of married people was 45 years. Of people never married, the median age was 23 years.

Of the population born in China who usually live in Australia, 33.3% were attending an educational institution. There were 1.8% in primary school, 4.0% in secondary school and 23.1% in a tertiary or technical institution.

Cultural & language diversity

In Australia of people who were born in China, 38.9% arrived in Australia from 2006 - 2011 and 18.4% from 2001 - 2005.

In Australia of people who were born in China, 47.3% were Australian citizens.

In Australia of people who were born in China and had a spouse or partner, 91.8% had a spouse or partner who was born overseas and 5.6% had a spouse or partner born in Australia.

In Australia of people who were born in China, the most common responses to the religion question were No Religion 63.2%, Buddhism 16.2%, Catholic 3.4%, Baptist 2.2% and Christian, nfd 2.1%.

In Australia of people who were born in China, 3.3% spoke English only at home. A further 64.9% spoke another language but also spoke English very well or well.

Employment

In Australia of people who were born in China and who were in the labour force, 56.3% worked full-time, 27.6% worked part-time and 11.0% were unemployed.

In Australia of people who were born in China and who were employed, 39.0% worked 40 hours or more per week and 24.2% worked 35-39 hours per week.

In Australia of people who were born in China the median age for those who were employed full-time was 38, while the median age for those employed part-time was 35.

In Australia of people who were born in China, the most common responses for occupation were Professionals 25.8%, Technicians and Trades Workers 13.4%, Managers 11.9%, Labourers 11.4% and Clerical and Administrative Workers 11.3%.

In Australia of people who were born in China, the most common responses for industry of employment were Cafes, Restaurants and Takeaway Food Services 13.8%, Tertiary Education 2.9%, Hospitals 2.8%, Legal and Accounting Services 2.7% and Computer System Design and Related Services 2.4%.

In Australia of people who were born in China, the personal weekly median income was $328. Family median weekly income was $1,105 and Household median weekly income was $1,091.

Family and Household are determined for the selected country of birth, 'All overseas born' and 'Australian born' by the Reference Person and/or their spouse/partner's response to country of birth. See explanatory notes for more information.

In Australia 55.4% of employed people who were born in China, travelled to work on census day by car, while 21.2% travelled by bus or train.

In Australia 56.5% of people who were born in China did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, and 24.9% cared for a child or children in the two weeks before the census.

In Australia of people who were born in China and who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, 20.2% worked 5 to 14 hours, 9.6% worked 15 to 29 hours and 6.6% worked 30 hours or more.

Family composition

For important information on how migrant families are classified, please see the explanatory notes

These statistics are for families in Australia. They are for families where the reference person was born in China and also include households where the reference person was born in Australia, or did not state their country of birth, but had a partner or spouse who was born in China. Of these families, 48.7% were couple families with children, 36.7% were couple families without children and 13.0% were one parent families.

Weekly incomes

These statistics are for families in Australia. They are for families where the reference person was born in China and also include households where the reference person was born in Australia, or did not state their country of birth, but had a partner or spouse who was born in China. Of these families, the median weekly income for families without children was $1,736 and for families with children the median weekly income was $1,869.

Employment status of couple families

These statistics are for families in Australia. They are for families where the reference person was born in China and also include households where the reference person was born in Australia, or did not state their country of birth, but had a partner or spouse who was born in China. Of these families, 23.1% of families had both parents working full-time, 13.0% of families had one parent working full-time and one parent working part-time, and 21.0% of families stated that both parents were not working.

Dwelling structure

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households

For important information on how migrant households are classified, please see the explanatory notes

These statistics are for occupied private dwellings in Australia. For the dwellings that were occupied on census night by a person or persons who were born in China, 51.9% were a separate house, 33.2% were a flat, unit or apartment, and 14.1% were a semi-detached, row or terrace house, townhouse etc.

These statistics are for occupied private dwellings in Australia. For the dwellings that were occupied on census night by a person or persons who were born in China, 26.5% had two bedrooms, 35.8% had three bedrooms and 29.3% had four or more bedrooms.

Mortgage & rent

These statistics are for occupied private dwellings in Australia. For the dwellings that were occupied on census night by a person or persons who were born in China, 24.6% were owned outright, 38.9% were owned with a mortgage and 33.6% were rented. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000 and the median weekly rent paid was $350.

Household composition

All occupants of a private dwelling complete one census form and are counted as a household. 'People born in China' includes households in Australia where at least one person was born in China. Of those households, 70.9% were one family households and 11.8% were lone person households.