People in Australia who were born in Tonga

2016 Census Country of birth QuickStats
Area code 0 by 1508
People 9,963
Male 5,195
Female 4,768
Australian citizen 46.9%
Not an Australian citizen 50.7%
Families 5,478
Couples with children 3,593
Couples without children 1,062
One parent families 763
Other families 59
All private dwellings 5,979
Median monthly mortgage repayment $2,100
Median weekly rent paid $370

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People

demographics & education | cultural & language diversity | employment

Demographics & education

People Born in Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Male 5,195 52.1 2,997,173 48.6 7,735,362 49.5 11,546,638 49.3
Female 4,768 47.9 3,166,493 51.4 7,880,175 50.5 11,855,248 50.7

In the 2016 Census, there were 9,963 people in Australia who were born in Tonga. Of these 52.1% were male and 47.9% were female.

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

Age
People
Born in Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
0-14 years 263 2.6 366,872 6.0 3,777,875 24.2 4,364,607 18.7
15-24 years 516 5.2 612,643 9.9 2,197,847 14.1 2,988,390 12.8
25-34 years 1,361 13.7 1,130,884 18.3 1,994,601 12.8 3,368,449 14.4
35-44 years 2,017 20.2 1,021,528 16.6 1,911,355 12.2 3,144,935 13.4
45-54 years 2,767 27.8 961,980 15.6 1,920,340 12.3 3,105,007 13.3
55-64 years 1,765 17.7 840,595 13.6 1,704,198 10.9 2,753,734 11.8
65 years and over 1,272 12.8 1,229,161 19.9 2,109,310 13.5 3,676,765 15.7
Median age 47 -- 44 -- 34 -- 38 --

Of the population born in Tonga who usually live in Australia, 2.6% were aged 0 - 14 years and 12.8% were aged 65 years and over. The median age of people in Australia who were born in Tonga was 47 years.

View the data quality statement for Age (AGEP)
Registered marital status
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Married 6,723 69.3 3,362,174 58.0 5,158,710 43.6 9,148,218 48.1
Separated 556 5.7 178,867 3.1 376,863 3.2 608,059 3.2
Divorced 547 5.6 464,766 8.0 1,021,844 8.6 1,626,890 8.5
Widowed 561 5.8 326,987 5.6 560,940 4.7 985,204 5.2
Never married 1,318 13.6 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 Tonga, 69.3% were married, 5.7% were separated, and 5.6% were divorced.

View the data quality statement for Registered marital status (MSTP)
Education Born in Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Pre-school 6 0.1 21,982 0.4 323,754 2.1 347,621 1.5
Primary 141 1.4 197,196 3.2 1,717,830 11.0 1,926,880 8.2
Secondary 233 2.3 224,770 3.6 1,211,676 7.8 1,446,506 6.2
University or tertiary institution 197 2.0 440,789 7.2 713,008 4.6 1,160,630 5.0
Technical or further education 207 2.1 152,909 2.5 267,689 1.7 424,870 1.8
Other 111 1.1 97,890 1.6 98,429 0.6 198,383 0.8
Institution attended, type not stated 351 3.5 117,292 1.9 329,449 2.1 1,707,023 7.3
Not attending an educational institution 8,707 87.5 4,910,840 79.7 10,953,685 70.1 16,189,980 69.2

Of the population born in Tonga who usually live in Australia, 12.5% were attending an educational institution. There were 1.4% in primary school, 2.3% in secondary school and 4.1% 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 Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Bachelor Degree level and above 728 7.5 1,830,410 31.6 2,320,141 19.6 4,181,406 22.0
Advanced Diploma and Diploma level 796 8.2 587,176 10.1 1,079,954 9.1 1,687,893 8.9
Certificate level IV 245 2.5 120,064 2.1 425,836 3.6 551,767 2.9
Certificate level III 885 9.1 565,803 9.8 1,831,323 15.5 2,442,203 12.8
Year 12 3,100 31.9 1,051,623 18.1 1,902,337 16.1 2,994,097 15.7
Year 11 695 7.2 200,856 3.5 724,761 6.1 941,531 4.9
Year 10 1,203 12.4 418,929 7.2 1,588,715 13.4 2,054,331 10.8
Certificate level II 11 0.1 3,313 0.1 9,848 0.1 13,454 0.1
Certificate level I 0 0.0 863 0.0 1,266 0.0 2,176 0.0
Year 9 or below 708 7.3 458,176 7.9 1,027,299 8.7 1,529,897 8.0
No educational attainment 235 2.4 114,870 2.0 26,748 0.2 145,844 0.8
Not stated 738 7.6 264,618 4.6 570,419 4.8 1,974,794 10.4

Of the population born in Tonga who usually live in Australia, 31.9% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 11.7% had completed a Certificate III or IV and 8.2% 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 Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Before 1941 16 0.2 9,289 0.2 -- -- -- --
1941 - 1950 0 0.0 84,378 1.4 -- -- -- --
1951 - 1960 25 0.3 321,721 5.2 -- -- -- --
1961 - 1970 145 1.5 590,106 9.6 -- -- -- --
1971 - 1980 1,215 12.2 541,319 8.8 -- -- -- --
1981 - 1990 2,665 26.7 768,312 12.5 -- -- -- --
1991 - 2000 2,021 20.3 766,940 12.4 -- -- -- --
2001 - 2005 618 6.2 559,084 9.1 -- -- -- --
2006 - 2010 1,165 11.7 985,332 16.0 -- -- -- --
2011 - 2016 1,400 14.0 1,324,426 21.5 -- -- -- --
Born in Australia -- -- -- -- 15,615,531 -- -- --

In Australia of people who were born in Tonga, 14.0% arrived in Australia from 2011 - 2016 and 11.7% from 2006 - 2010.

View the data quality statement for Year of arrival in Australia (YARP)
Citizenship Born in Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Australian citizen 4,672 46.9 3,652,290 59.3 15,304,785 98.0 19,278,834 82.4
Not an Australian citizen 5,050 50.7 2,402,591 39.0 86,884 0.6 2,507,458 10.7

In Australia of people who were born in Tonga, 46.9% were Australian citizens.

View the data quality statement for Australian citizenship (CITP)
Birthplace of spouse or partner Born in Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Spouse or partner born overseas 5,020 77.1 2,533,692 72.3 874,386 14.5 3,432,017 35.9
Spouse or partner born in Australia 1,353 20.8 874,386 25.0 4,975,104 82.7 5,872,893 61.4

In Australia of people who were born in Tonga and had a spouse or partner, 77.1% had a spouse or partner who was born overseas and 20.8% 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 Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Uniting Church 2,645 26.6 95,717 1.6 757,618 4.9 870,183 3.7
Catholic 2,305 23.2 1,306,565 21.2 3,895,007 24.9 5,291,834 22.6
Latter-day Saints 1,170 11.8 25,278 0.4 35,387 0.2 61,639 0.3
Other Protestant 1,021 10.3 51,660 0.8 54,992 0.4 108,307 0.5
Christian, nfd 728 7.3 211,734 3.4 391,430 2.5 612,371 2.6

In Australia of people who were born in Tonga, the most common responses to the religion question were Uniting Church 26.6%, Catholic 23.2%, Latter-day Saints 11.8%, Other Protestant 10.3% and Christian, nfd 7.3%.

View the data quality statement for Religious affiliation (RELP)
English language proficiency Born in Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Speaks English only 1,523 15.3 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 7,175 72.0 2,885,219 46.8 1,122,966 7.2 4,068,598 17.4
Not well or not at all 1,038 10.4 648,470 10.5 157,704 1.0 819,925 3.5

In Australia of people who were born in Tonga, 15.3% spoke English only at home. A further 72.0% 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 Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Worked full-time 3,740 63.4 2,052,828 58.4 4,491,739 57.5 6,623,065 57.7
Worked part-time 1,232 20.9 1,025,198 29.2 2,421,402 31.0 3,491,503 30.4
Away from work 360 6.1 158,027 4.5 397,088 5.1 569,276 5.0
Unemployed 567 9.6 277,586 7.9 498,013 6.4 787,452 6.9
Not in the labour force 3,589 37.0 2,221,922 38.3 3,913,066 33.1 6,297,600 33.1

In Australia of people who were born in Tonga and who were in the labour force, 63.4% worked full-time, 20.9% worked part-time and 9.6% 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 Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
1-15 hours per week 318 6.0 313,561 9.7 890,779 12.2 1,218,823 11.4
16-24 hours per week 301 5.6 358,890 11.1 706,291 9.7 1,079,236 10.1
25-34 hours per week 617 11.6 352,748 10.9 824,331 11.3 1,193,445 11.2
35-39 hours per week 1,308 24.5 705,848 21.8 1,300,092 17.8 2,031,263 19.0
40 hours or more per week 2,431 45.6 1,346,985 41.6 3,191,643 43.7 4,591,801 43.0

In Australia of people who were born in Tonga and who were employed, 45.6% worked 40 hours or more per week and 24.5% 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 Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Labourers 1,228 23.0 354,542 11.0 638,102 8.7 1,011,520 9.5
Machinery Operators and Drivers 1,207 22.6 210,138 6.5 447,114 6.1 670,106 6.3
Community and Personal Service Workers 943 17.7 351,854 10.9 789,597 10.8 1,157,003 10.8
Professionals 589 11.0 815,695 25.2 1,536,662 21.0 2,370,966 22.2
Clerical and Administrative Workers 426 8.0 393,619 12.2 1,040,953 14.2 1,449,681 13.6

In Australia of people who were born in Tonga, the most common responses for occupation were Labourers 23.0%, Machinery Operators and Drivers 22.6%, Community and Personal Service Workers 17.7%, Professionals 11.0% and Clerical and Administrative 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 Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Aged Care Residential Services 483 9.4 90,571 2.8 117,174 1.6 211,621 2.0
Road Freight Transport 179 3.5 29,538 0.9 97,636 1.3 129,528 1.2
Other Warehousing and Storage Services 172 3.3 16,253 0.5 22,594 0.3 39,412 0.4
Other Social Assistance Services 157 3.0 44,886 1.4 110,902 1.5 158,230 1.5
Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) 142 2.8 141,550 4.4 265,609 3.6 411,808 3.9

In Australia of people who were born in Tonga, the most common responses for industry of employment were Aged Care Residential Services 9.4%, Road Freight Transport 3.5%, Other Warehousing and Storage Services 3.3%, Other Social Assistance Services 3.0% and Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) 2.8%.

View the data quality statement for Industry of employment (INDP)
Median weekly income
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Personal 682 -- 615 -- 688 -- 662 --
Family 1,635 -- 1,725 -- 1,834 -- 1,734 --
Household 1,733 -- 1,562 -- 1,539 -- 1,438 --

In Australia of people who were born in Tonga, the personal weekly median income was $682. Family median weekly income was $1,635 and Household median weekly income was $1,733.

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 Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Car 3,910 73.1 1,986,872 61.4 5,009,484 68.5 7,090,101 66.4
Bus or train 597 11.2 453,292 14.0 454,116 6.2 915,328 8.6
Other 370 6.9 381,664 11.8 672,865 9.2 1,066,965 10.0

In Australia 73.1% of employed people who were born in Tonga travelled to work on census day by car, while 11.2% 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 Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Did unpaid domestic work (last week) 5,753 59.3 3,964,948 68.4 9,000,198 76.0 13,143,914 69.0
Cared for child/children (last two weeks) 3,877 40.0 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) 1,532 15.8 613,990 10.6 1,489,817 12.6 2,145,203 11.3
Did voluntary work through an organisation or group (last 12 months) 2,173 22.4 941,091 16.2 2,634,097 22.3 3,620,726 19.0

In Australia 59.3% of people who were born in Tonga did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, and 40.0% 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 Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Less than 5 hours per week 1,922 19.8 1,234,900 21.3 3,013,177 25.5 4,298,593 22.6
5 to 14 hours per week 2,043 21.1 1,509,217 26.0 3,371,602 28.5 4,944,578 26.0
15 to 29 hours per week 803 8.3 678,501 11.7 1,479,061 12.5 2,189,776 11.5
30 hours or more per week 977 10.1 542,335 9.4 1,136,359 9.6 1,710,970 9.0

In Australia of people who were born in Tonga and who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, 21.1% worked 5 to 14 hours, 8.3% worked 15 to 29 hours and 10.1% 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 Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Couple family without children 1,062 19.4 1,012,440 39.3 1,240,422 36.6 2,291,987 37.8
Couple family with children 3,593 65.6 1,248,241 48.4 1,434,939 42.3 2,716,224 44.7
One parent family 763 13.9 282,463 11.0 648,590 19.1 959,543 15.8
Other family 59 1.1 34,059 1.3 65,896 1.9 102,559 1.7
Families with a child under 5 1,284 23.4 446,733 17.3 591,182 17.4 1,037,904 17.1
Families with a child aged 0-15 years 3,036 55.4 977,697 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 Tonga. Of these families, 65.6% were couple families with children, 19.4% were couple families without children and 13.9% 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 Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Both employed, worked full-time 942 20.3 475,278 21.0 600,260 22.4 1,084,006 21.6
Both employed, worked part-time 142 3.1 97,948 4.3 103,266 3.9 203,596 4.1
One employed full-time, one part-time 596 12.8 424,478 18.8 652,771 24.4 1,086,460 21.7
One employed full-time, other not working 1,230 26.5 390,307 17.3 352,203 13.2 749,886 15.0
One employed part-time, other not working 339 7.3 156,274 6.9 141,852 5.3 302,037 6.0
Both not working 873 18.8 492,423 21.8 488,403 18.3 1,006,697 20.1
Other (includes away from work) 304 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) 223 4.8 116,299 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 Tonga. Of these families, 20.3% of families had both parents working full-time, 12.8% of families had one parent working full-time and one parent working part-time, and 18.8% 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 Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Separate house 4,660 77.9 2,212,954 67.1 5,074,866 76.9 6,041,788 72.9
Semi-detached, row or terrace house, townhouse etc 615 10.3 466,800 14.1 779,497 11.8 1,055,016 12.7
Flat or apartment 631 10.6 585,471 17.7 668,862 10.1 1,087,434 13.1
Other dwelling 57 1.0 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 Tonga, 77.9% were a separate house, 10.6% were a flat or apartment, and 10.3% 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 Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
None (includes bedsitters) 23 0.4 17,187 0.5 23,956 0.4 39,769 0.5
1 bedroom 156 2.6 176,922 5.4 254,884 3.9 411,252 5.0
2 bedrooms 724 12.1 658,470 20.0 1,119,772 17.0 1,562,759 18.9
3 bedrooms 2,284 38.2 1,264,755 38.3 2,787,246 42.2 3,403,190 41.1
4 or more bedrooms 2,554 42.7 1,110,865 33.7 2,287,725 34.7 2,670,758 32.2
Number of bedrooms not stated 245 4.1 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 Tonga, 12.1% had two bedrooms, 38.2% had three bedrooms and 42.7% 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 Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Owned outright 525 8.8 970,425 29.4 2,013,505 30.5 2,565,695 31.0
Owned with a mortgage 1,646 27.5 1,122,252 34.0 2,474,999 37.5 2,855,222 34.5
Rented 3,509 58.7 1,099,840 33.3 1,907,007 28.9 2,561,302 30.9
Other tenure type 26 0.4 25,380 0.8 59,681 0.9 78,994 1.0
Tenure type not stated 270 4.5 81,928 2.5 144,494 2.2 224,869 2.7
Median monthly mortgage repayment 2,100 -- 1,950 -- 1,742 -- 1,755 --
Median weekly rent paid 370 -- 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 Tonga, 8.8% were owned outright, 27.5% were owned with a mortgage and 58.7% were rented. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,100 and the median weekly rent paid was $370.

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 Tonga % Born in Tonga All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
One family households 4,671 78.0 2,465,248 74.7 4,809,352 72.9 5,751,635 69.4
Multiple family households 752 12.6 101,470 3.1 137,593 2.1 155,992 1.9
Single (or lone) person households 412 6.9 559,665 17.0 1,403,935 21.3 2,023,542 24.4
Group households 153 2.6 173,452 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 Tonga' includes households in Australia where at least one person was born in Tonga. Of those households, 78.0% were one family households and 6.9% 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.