People in Australia who were born in Samoa

2016 Census Country of birth QuickStats
Area code 0 by 1505
People 24,015
Male 11,882
Female 12,133
Australian citizen 38.4%
Not an Australian citizen 59.4%
Families 11,991
Couples with children 8,183
Couples without children 1,858
One parent families 1,825
Other families 133
All private dwellings 13,016
Median monthly mortgage repayment $1,993
Median weekly rent paid $360

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People

demographics & education | cultural & language diversity | employment

Demographics & education

People Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Male 11,882 49.5 2,997,173 48.6 7,735,362 49.5 11,546,638 49.3
Female 12,133 50.5 3,166,493 51.4 7,880,175 50.5 11,855,248 50.7

In the 2016 Census, there were 24,015 people in Australia who were born in Samoa. Of these 49.5% were male and 50.5% were female.

View the data quality statements for: Place of Usual Residence (PURP) Country of birth of person (BPLP)

Age
People
Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
0-14 years 1,365 5.7 366,872 6.0 3,777,875 24.2 4,364,607 18.7
15-24 years 2,356 9.8 612,643 9.9 2,197,847 14.1 2,988,390 12.8
25-34 years 3,404 14.2 1,130,884 18.3 1,994,601 12.8 3,368,449 14.4
35-44 years 4,538 18.9 1,021,528 16.6 1,911,355 12.2 3,144,935 13.4
45-54 years 5,959 24.8 961,980 15.6 1,920,340 12.3 3,105,007 13.3
55-64 years 4,067 16.9 840,595 13.6 1,704,198 10.9 2,753,734 11.8
65 years and over 2,328 9.7 1,229,161 19.9 2,109,310 13.5 3,676,765 15.7
Median age 45 -- 44 -- 34 -- 38 --

Of the population born in Samoa who usually live in Australia, 5.7% were aged 0 - 14 years and 9.7% were aged 65 years and over. The median age of people in Australia who were born in Samoa was 45 years.

View the data quality statement for Age (AGEP)
Registered marital status
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Married 14,175 62.6 3,362,174 58.0 5,158,710 43.6 9,148,218 48.1
Separated 962 4.2 178,867 3.1 376,863 3.2 608,059 3.2
Divorced 982 4.3 464,766 8.0 1,021,844 8.6 1,626,890 8.5
Widowed 1,049 4.6 326,987 5.6 560,940 4.7 985,204 5.2
Never married 5,484 24.2 1,463,996 25.3 4,719,302 39.9 6,668,910 35.0

Of people in Australia aged 15 years and over who were born in Samoa, 62.6% were married, 4.2% were separated, and 4.3% were divorced.

View the data quality statement for Registered marital status (MSTP)
Education Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Pre-school 39 0.2 21,982 0.4 323,754 2.1 347,621 1.5
Primary 669 2.8 197,196 3.2 1,717,830 11.0 1,926,880 8.2
Secondary 1,130 4.7 224,770 3.6 1,211,676 7.8 1,446,506 6.2
University or tertiary institution 303 1.3 440,789 7.2 713,008 4.6 1,160,630 5.0
Technical or further education 395 1.6 152,909 2.5 267,689 1.7 424,870 1.8
Other 413 1.7 97,890 1.6 98,429 0.6 198,383 0.8
Institution attended, type not stated 856 3.6 117,292 1.9 329,449 2.1 1,707,023 7.3
Not attending an educational institution 20,213 84.2 4,910,840 79.7 10,953,685 70.1 16,189,980 69.2

Of the population born in Samoa who usually live in Australia, 15.8% were attending an educational institution. There were 2.8% in primary school, 4.7% in secondary school and 2.9% in a tertiary or technical institution.

View the data quality statement for Educational institution attendee status (TYSTAP)
Level of highest educational attainment
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Bachelor Degree level and above 1,124 5.0 1,830,410 31.6 2,320,141 19.6 4,181,406 22.0
Advanced Diploma and Diploma level 1,789 7.9 587,176 10.1 1,079,954 9.1 1,687,893 8.9
Certificate level IV 613 2.7 120,064 2.1 425,836 3.6 551,767 2.9
Certificate level III 2,443 10.8 565,803 9.8 1,831,323 15.5 2,442,203 12.8
Year 12 7,269 32.1 1,051,623 18.1 1,902,337 16.1 2,994,097 15.7
Year 11 1,631 7.2 200,856 3.5 724,761 6.1 941,531 4.9
Year 10 2,510 11.1 418,929 7.2 1,588,715 13.4 2,054,331 10.8
Certificate level II 21 0.1 3,313 0.1 9,848 0.1 13,454 0.1
Certificate level I 4 0.0 863 0.0 1,266 0.0 2,176 0.0
Year 9 or below 1,809 8.0 458,176 7.9 1,027,299 8.7 1,529,897 8.0
No educational attainment 519 2.3 114,870 2.0 26,748 0.2 145,844 0.8
Not stated 2,002 8.8 264,618 4.6 570,419 4.8 1,974,794 10.4

Of the population born in Samoa who usually live in Australia, 32.1% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 13.5% had completed a Certificate III or IV and 7.9% had completed an Advanced Diploma or Diploma.

View the data quality statement for Level of highest educational attainment (HEAP)

Cultural & language diversity

Year of arrival Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Before 1941 5 0.0 9,289 0.2 -- -- -- --
1941 - 1950 14 0.1 84,378 1.4 -- -- -- --
1951 - 1960 33 0.1 321,721 5.2 -- -- -- --
1961 - 1970 77 0.3 590,106 9.6 -- -- -- --
1971 - 1980 463 1.9 541,319 8.8 -- -- -- --
1981 - 1990 3,336 13.9 768,312 12.5 -- -- -- --
1991 - 2000 6,750 28.1 766,940 12.4 -- -- -- --
2001 - 2005 2,570 10.7 559,084 9.1 -- -- -- --
2006 - 2010 3,183 13.3 985,332 16.0 -- -- -- --
2011 - 2016 6,493 27.0 1,324,426 21.5 -- -- -- --
Born in Australia -- -- -- -- 15,615,531 -- -- --

In Australia of people who were born in Samoa, 27.0% arrived in Australia from 2011 - 2016 and 13.3% from 2006 - 2010.

View the data quality statement for Year of arrival in Australia (YARP)
Citizenship Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Australian citizen 9,218 38.4 3,652,290 59.3 15,304,785 98.0 19,278,834 82.4
Not an Australian citizen 14,273 59.4 2,402,591 39.0 86,884 0.6 2,507,458 10.7

In Australia of people who were born in Samoa, 38.4% were Australian citizens.

View the data quality statement for Australian citizenship (CITP)
Birthplace of spouse or partner Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Spouse or partner born overseas 13,354 88.8 2,533,692 72.3 874,386 14.5 3,432,017 35.9
Spouse or partner born in Australia 1,427 9.5 874,386 25.0 4,975,104 82.7 5,872,893 61.4

In Australia of people who were born in Samoa and had a spouse or partner, 88.8% had a spouse or partner who was born overseas and 9.5% had a spouse or partner born in Australia.

Note: Total does not include those spouses or partners who did not state their country of birth.

View the data quality statements for: Country of birth of person (BPLP) Relationship in household (RLHP) Family/household reference person indicator (RPIP)

Religious affiliation, top responses
Results may include 'nfd' for 'not further defined'
Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Catholic 5,128 21.4 1,306,565 21.2 3,895,007 24.9 5,291,834 22.6
Christian, nfd 3,938 16.4 211,734 3.4 391,430 2.5 612,371 2.6
Latter-day Saints 3,260 13.6 25,278 0.4 35,387 0.2 61,639 0.3
Pentecostal 2,002 8.3 91,349 1.5 165,897 1.1 260,558 1.1
Other Protestant 1,819 7.6 51,660 0.8 54,992 0.4 108,307 0.5

In Australia of people who were born in Samoa, the most common responses to the religion question were Catholic 21.4%, Christian, nfd 16.4%, Latter-day Saints 13.6%, Pentecostal 8.3% and Other Protestant 7.6%.

View the data quality statement for Religious affiliation (RELP)
English language proficiency Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Speaks English only 3,125 13.0 2,581,282 41.9 14,190,672 90.9 17,020,421 72.7
Speaks other language and speaks English:  null  null  null  null  null  null
Very well or well 17,968 74.8 2,885,219 46.8 1,122,966 7.2 4,068,598 17.4
Not well or not at all 2,386 9.9 648,470 10.5 157,704 1.0 819,925 3.5

In Australia of people who were born in Samoa, 13.0% spoke English only at home. A further 74.8% spoke another language but also spoke English very well or well.

View the data quality statement for Proficiency in spoken English/language (ENGLP)

Employment

Employment
Labour force, people aged 15 years and over
Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Worked full-time 8,862 62.4 2,052,828 58.4 4,491,739 57.5 6,623,065 57.7
Worked part-time 2,954 20.8 1,025,198 29.2 2,421,402 31.0 3,491,503 30.4
Away from work 920 6.5 158,027 4.5 397,088 5.1 569,276 5.0
Unemployed 1,464 10.3 277,586 7.9 498,013 6.4 787,452 6.9
Not in the labour force 7,921 35.0 2,221,922 38.3 3,913,066 33.1 6,297,600 33.1

In Australia of people who were born in Samoa and who were in the labour force, 62.4% worked full-time, 20.8% worked part-time and 10.3% were unemployed.

The ABS Labour Force Survey provides the official estimates of Australia's unemployment rate. More information about Census and labour force status is provided in Understanding the Census and Census Data.

View the data quality statement for Labour force status (LFSP)
Employment - hours worked
Labour force, people aged 15 years and over
Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
1-15 hours per week 815 6.4 313,561 9.7 890,779 12.2 1,218,823 11.4
16-24 hours per week 746 5.9 358,890 11.1 706,291 9.7 1,079,236 10.1
25-34 hours per week 1,396 11.0 352,748 10.9 824,331 11.3 1,193,445 11.2
35-39 hours per week 3,837 30.1 705,848 21.8 1,300,092 17.8 2,031,263 19.0
40 hours or more per week 5,030 39.5 1,346,985 41.6 3,191,643 43.7 4,591,801 43.0

In Australia of people who were born in Samoa and who were employed, 39.5% worked 40 hours or more per week and 30.1% worked 35-39 hours per week.

View the data quality statement for Hours worked (HRSP)
Occupation, top responses
Employed people aged 15 years and over
Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Machinery Operators and Drivers 3,490 27.4 210,138 6.5 447,114 6.1 670,106 6.3
Labourers 3,139 24.6 354,542 11.0 638,102 8.7 1,011,520 9.5
Community and Personal Service Workers 1,810 14.2 351,854 10.9 789,597 10.8 1,157,003 10.8
Clerical and Administrative Workers 1,214 9.5 393,619 12.2 1,040,953 14.2 1,449,681 13.6
Technicians and Trades Workers 1,014 8.0 405,055 12.5 1,021,688 14.0 1,447,414 13.5

In Australia of people who were born in Samoa, the most common responses for occupation were Machinery Operators and Drivers 27.4%, Labourers 24.6%, Community and Personal Service Workers 14.2%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 9.5% and Technicians and Trades Workers 8.0%.

View the data quality statement for Occupation (OCCP)
Industry of employment, top responses
Employed people aged 15 years and over
Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Child Care Services 610 4.8 42,996 1.3 73,892 1.0 118,234 1.1
Aged Care Residential Services 541 4.3 90,571 2.8 117,174 1.6 211,621 2.0
Other Warehousing and Storage Services 521 4.1 16,253 0.5 22,594 0.3 39,412 0.4
Road Freight Transport 300 2.4 29,538 0.9 97,636 1.3 129,528 1.2
Urban Bus Transport (Including Tramway) 271 2.1 11,253 0.3 17,154 0.2 28,867 0.3

In Australia of people who were born in Samoa, the most common responses for industry of employment were Child Care Services 4.8%, Aged Care Residential Services 4.3%, Other Warehousing and Storage Services 4.1%, Road Freight Transport 2.4% and Urban Bus Transport (Including Tramway) 2.1%.

View the data quality statement for Industry of employment (INDP)
Median weekly income
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Personal 659 -- 615 -- 688 -- 662 --
Family 1,603 -- 1,725 -- 1,834 -- 1,734 --
Household 1,756 -- 1,562 -- 1,539 -- 1,438 --

In Australia of people who were born in Samoa, the personal weekly median income was $659. Family median weekly income was $1,603 and Household median weekly income was $1,756.

Median personal weekly income for persons aged 15 years and over born in the selected country. Excludes those who did not state an income.

Family for the selected country of birth is determined by the reference person and/or their spouse/partner's response to country of birth. Median family income excludes families where at least one family member aged 15 years and over did not state an income.

Household for the selected country of birth is determined by the response of any household member (enumerated in the dwelling) to country of birth. Median household income excludes households where at least one member aged 15 years and over did not state an income.

View the data quality statements for: Total personal income (INCP) Total family income (FINF) Total household income (HIND)

Travel to work
Employed people aged 15 years and over
Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Car 9,664 75.9 1,986,872 61.4 5,009,484 68.5 7,090,101 66.4
Bus or train 1,069 8.4 453,292 14.0 454,116 6.2 915,328 8.6
Other 746 5.9 381,664 11.8 672,865 9.2 1,066,965 10.0

In Australia 75.9% of employed people who were born in Samoa travelled to work on census day by car, while 8.4% travelled by bus or train.

View the data quality statement for Method of travel to work (MTWP)
Unpaid work
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Did unpaid domestic work (last week) 12,284 54.2 3,964,948 68.4 9,000,198 76.0 13,143,914 69.0
Cared for child/children (last two weeks) 8,938 39.5 1,677,392 28.9 3,507,061 29.6 5,259,400 27.6
Provided unpaid assistance to a person with a disability (last two weeks) 3,251 14.4 613,990 10.6 1,489,817 12.6 2,145,203 11.3
Did voluntary work through an organisation or group (last 12 months) 5,375 23.7 941,091 16.2 2,634,097 22.3 3,620,726 19.0

In Australia 54.2% of people who were born in Samoa did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, and 39.5% cared for a child or children in the two weeks before the census.

View the data quality statements for: Unpaid domestic work (DOMP) Unpaid child care (CHCAREP) Unpaid assistance (UNCAREP) Voluntary work (VOLWP)

Unpaid domestic work, number of hours
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Less than 5 hours per week 4,252 18.8 1,234,900 21.3 3,013,177 25.5 4,298,593 22.6
5 to 14 hours per week 4,246 18.8 1,509,217 26.0 3,371,602 28.5 4,944,578 26.0
15 to 29 hours per week 1,766 7.8 678,501 11.7 1,479,061 12.5 2,189,776 11.5
30 hours or more per week 2,017 8.9 542,335 9.4 1,136,359 9.6 1,710,970 9.0

In Australia of people who were born in Samoa and who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, 18.8% worked 5 to 14 hours, 7.8% worked 15 to 29 hours and 8.9% worked 30 hours or more.

View the data quality statement for Unpaid domestic work, number of hours (DOMP)

Families

family composition | employment status of couple families

Family composition

For information on how migrant families are classified, see the User guide for QuickStats

Family composition Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Couple family without children 1,858 15.5 1,012,440 39.3 1,240,422 36.6 2,291,987 37.8
Couple family with children 8,183 68.2 1,248,241 48.4 1,434,939 42.3 2,716,224 44.7
One parent family 1,825 15.2 282,463 11.0 648,590 19.1 959,543 15.8
Other family 133 1.1 34,059 1.3 65,896 1.9 102,559 1.7
Families with a child under 5 2,912 24.3 446,733 17.3 591,182 17.4 1,037,904 17.1
Families with a child aged 0-15 years 7,047 58.7 977,697 37.9 1,379,763 40.7 2,357,465 38.8

These statistics are for families in Australia. They are for families where the reference person and/or their spouse or partner was born in Samoa. Of these families, 68.2% were couple families with children, 15.5% were couple families without children and 15.2% were one parent families.

Note: Totals for families with a child under 5 and for families with a child aged 0-15 years does not include those families where the reference person and/or their spouse/partner did not state their country of birth.

View the data quality statement for Family composition (FMCF)

Employment status of couple families

Employment status of couple families
Labour force, people aged 15 years and over
Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Both employed, worked full-time 2,179 21.7 475,278 21.0 600,260 22.4 1,084,006 21.6
Both employed, worked part-time 307 3.1 97,948 4.3 103,266 3.9 203,596 4.1
One employed full-time, one part-time 1,307 13.0 424,478 18.8 652,771 24.4 1,086,460 21.7
One employed full-time, other not working 2,601 25.9 390,307 17.3 352,203 13.2 749,886 15.0
One employed part-time, other not working 772 7.7 156,274 6.9 141,852 5.3 302,037 6.0
Both not working 1,721 17.1 492,423 21.8 488,403 18.3 1,006,697 20.1
Other (includes away from work) 648 6.5 107,664 4.8 152,346 5.7 264,145 5.3
Labour force status not stated (by one or both parents in a couple family) 509 5.1 116,299 5.1 184,264 6.9 311,381 6.2

These statistics are for families in Australia. They are for families where the reference person and/or their spouse or partner was born in Samoa. Of these families, 21.7% 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 17.1% of families stated that both parents were not working.

View the data quality statement for Labour force status of parents / partners in families (LFSF)

Dwellings

dwelling structure | mortgage & rent | household composition

Dwelling structure

For information on how migrant households are classified, see the User guide for QuickStats

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households

Dwelling structure
Occupied private dwellings
Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Separate house 10,475 80.5 2,212,954 67.1 5,074,866 76.9 6,041,788 72.9
Semi-detached, row or terrace house, townhouse etc 1,547 11.9 466,800 14.1 779,497 11.8 1,055,016 12.7
Flat or apartment 868 6.7 585,471 17.7 668,862 10.1 1,087,434 13.1
Other dwelling 80 0.6 20,721 0.6 48,617 0.7 64,425 0.8

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 Samoa, 80.5% were a separate house, 6.7% were a flat or apartment, and 11.9% were a semi-detached, row or terrace house, townhouse etc.

View the data quality statement for Dwelling structure (STRD)
Number of bedrooms
Occupied private dwellings
Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
None (includes bedsitters) 70 0.5 17,187 0.5 23,956 0.4 39,769 0.5
1 bedroom 227 1.7 176,922 5.4 254,884 3.9 411,252 5.0
2 bedrooms 1,151 8.8 658,470 20.0 1,119,772 17.0 1,562,759 18.9
3 bedrooms 5,023 38.6 1,264,755 38.3 2,787,246 42.2 3,403,190 41.1
4 or more bedrooms 5,946 45.7 1,110,865 33.7 2,287,725 34.7 2,670,758 32.2
Number of bedrooms not stated 597 4.6 71,635 2.2 126,102 1.9 198,351 2.4

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 Samoa, 8.8% had two bedrooms, 38.6% had three bedrooms and 45.7% had four or more bedrooms.

View the data quality statement for Number of bedrooms in a private dwelling (BEDD)

Mortgage & rent

Mortgage and rent
Occupied private dwellings
Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Owned outright 628 4.8 970,425 29.4 2,013,505 30.5 2,565,695 31.0
Owned with a mortgage 2,963 22.8 1,122,252 34.0 2,474,999 37.5 2,855,222 34.5
Rented 8,716 67.0 1,099,840 33.3 1,907,007 28.9 2,561,302 30.9
Other tenure type 63 0.5 25,380 0.8 59,681 0.9 78,994 1.0
Tenure type not stated 644 4.9 81,928 2.5 144,494 2.2 224,869 2.7
Median monthly mortgage repayment 1,993 -- 1,950 -- 1,742 -- 1,755 --
Median weekly rent paid 360 -- 370 -- 330 -- 335 --

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 Samoa, 4.8% were owned outright, 22.8% were owned with a mortgage and 67.0% were rented. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,993 and the median weekly rent paid was $360.

Median monthly mortgage repayment relates only to occupied private dwellings that are owned with a mortgage (including those being purchased under a rent/buy scheme). It excludes 'visitor only' and 'other non-classifiable' households and dwellings that did not state a monthly repayment value.

Median weekly rent paid relates to occupied private dwellings being rented (including rent-free accommodation). It excludes 'visitor only' and 'other non-classifiable' households and dwellings that did not state a weekly payment value.

View the data quality statements for: Tenure type (TEND) Rent weekly payments (RNTD) Mortgage monthly repayments (MRED)

Household composition

Household composition Born in Samoa % Born in Samoa All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
One family households 10,439 80.2 2,465,248 74.7 4,809,352 72.9 5,751,635 69.4
Multiple family households 1,661 12.8 101,470 3.1 137,593 2.1 155,992 1.9
Single (or lone) person households 645 5.0 559,665 17.0 1,403,935 21.3 2,023,542 24.4
Group households 272 2.1 173,452 5.3 248,803 3.8 354,917 4.3

All occupants of a private dwelling complete one census form and are counted as a household. 'Born in Samoa' includes households in Australia where at least one person was born in Samoa. Of those households, 80.2% were one family households and 5.0% were lone person households.

View the data quality statement for Household composition (HHCD)

Small random adjustments have been made to all cell values to protect the confidentiality of data. These adjustments may cause the sum of rows or columns to differ by small amounts from the table totals. For further information, go to the User Guide for QuickStats.

Data reported for Australia and Other Territories now includes Norfolk Island, following an amendment to the Acts Interpretation Act, 1901. Because Norfolk Island has not previously been included in the Census, any 2011 benchmarks will not include Norfolk Island.