People in Australia who were born in Ireland

2016 Census Country of birth QuickStats
Area code 0 by 2201
People 74,895
Male 39,729
Female 35,166
Australian citizen 54.1%
Not an Australian citizen 43.6%
Families 40,122
Couples with children 18,509
Couples without children 19,140
One parent families 2,219
Other families 235
All private dwellings 53,784
Median monthly mortgage repayment $2,123
Median weekly rent paid $450

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People

demographics & education | cultural & language diversity | employment

Demographics & education

People Born in Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Male 39,729 53.0 2,997,173 48.6 7,735,362 49.5 11,546,638 49.3
Female 35,166 47.0 3,166,493 51.4 7,880,175 50.5 11,855,248 50.7

In the 2016 Census, there were 74,895 people in Australia who were born in Ireland. Of these 53.0% were male and 47.0% were female.

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

Age
People
Born in Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
0-14 years 5,004 6.7 366,872 6.0 3,777,875 24.2 4,364,607 18.7
15-24 years 2,980 4.0 612,643 9.9 2,197,847 14.1 2,988,390 12.8
25-34 years 19,862 26.5 1,130,884 18.3 1,994,601 12.8 3,368,449 14.4
35-44 years 13,866 18.5 1,021,528 16.6 1,911,355 12.2 3,144,935 13.4
45-54 years 9,954 13.3 961,980 15.6 1,920,340 12.3 3,105,007 13.3
55-64 years 8,097 10.8 840,595 13.6 1,704,198 10.9 2,753,734 11.8
65 years and over 15,126 20.2 1,229,161 19.9 2,109,310 13.5 3,676,765 15.7
Median age 41 -- 44 -- 34 -- 38 --

Of the population born in Ireland who usually live in Australia, 6.7% were aged 0 - 14 years and 20.2% were aged 65 years and over. The median age of people in Australia who were born in Ireland was 41 years.

View the data quality statement for Age (AGEP)
Registered marital status
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Married 34,997 50.1 3,362,174 58.0 5,158,710 43.6 9,148,218 48.1
Separated 1,931 2.8 178,867 3.1 376,863 3.2 608,059 3.2
Divorced 4,584 6.6 464,766 8.0 1,021,844 8.6 1,626,890 8.5
Widowed 3,496 5.0 326,987 5.6 560,940 4.7 985,204 5.2
Never married 24,873 35.6 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 Ireland, 50.1% were married, 2.8% were separated, and 6.6% were divorced.

View the data quality statement for Registered marital status (MSTP)
Education Born in Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Pre-school 311 0.4 21,982 0.4 323,754 2.1 347,621 1.5
Primary 3,354 4.5 197,196 3.2 1,717,830 11.0 1,926,880 8.2
Secondary 1,650 2.2 224,770 3.6 1,211,676 7.8 1,446,506 6.2
University or tertiary institution 1,901 2.5 440,789 7.2 713,008 4.6 1,160,630 5.0
Technical or further education 807 1.1 152,909 2.5 267,689 1.7 424,870 1.8
Other 434 0.6 97,890 1.6 98,429 0.6 198,383 0.8
Institution attended, type not stated 1,278 1.7 117,292 1.9 329,449 2.1 1,707,023 7.3
Not attending an educational institution 65,155 87.0 4,910,840 79.7 10,953,685 70.1 16,189,980 69.2

Of the population born in Ireland who usually live in Australia, 13.0% were attending an educational institution. There were 4.5% in primary school, 2.2% in secondary school and 3.6% 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 Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Bachelor Degree level and above 23,273 33.3 1,830,410 31.6 2,320,141 19.6 4,181,406 22.0
Advanced Diploma and Diploma level 7,950 11.4 587,176 10.1 1,079,954 9.1 1,687,893 8.9
Certificate level IV 1,518 2.2 120,064 2.1 425,836 3.6 551,767 2.9
Certificate level III 12,776 18.3 565,803 9.8 1,831,323 15.5 2,442,203 12.8
Year 12 9,577 13.7 1,051,623 18.1 1,902,337 16.1 2,994,097 15.7
Year 11 1,403 2.0 200,856 3.5 724,761 6.1 941,531 4.9
Year 10 4,310 6.2 418,929 7.2 1,588,715 13.4 2,054,331 10.8
Certificate level II 19 0.0 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 3,294 4.7 458,176 7.9 1,027,299 8.7 1,529,897 8.0
No educational attainment 98 0.1 114,870 2.0 26,748 0.2 145,844 0.8
Not stated 3,470 5.0 264,618 4.6 570,419 4.8 1,974,794 10.4

Of the population born in Ireland who usually live in Australia, 13.7% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 20.5% had completed a Certificate III or IV and 11.4% 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 Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Before 1941 157 0.2 9,289 0.2 -- -- -- --
1941 - 1950 583 0.8 84,378 1.4 -- -- -- --
1951 - 1960 2,791 3.7 321,721 5.2 -- -- -- --
1961 - 1970 7,527 10.1 590,106 9.6 -- -- -- --
1971 - 1980 7,068 9.4 541,319 8.8 -- -- -- --
1981 - 1990 10,928 14.6 768,312 12.5 -- -- -- --
1991 - 2000 6,204 8.3 766,940 12.4 -- -- -- --
2001 - 2005 4,865 6.5 559,084 9.1 -- -- -- --
2006 - 2010 12,638 16.9 985,332 16.0 -- -- -- --
2011 - 2016 20,167 26.9 1,324,426 21.5 -- -- -- --
Born in Australia -- -- -- -- 15,615,531 -- -- --

In Australia of people who were born in Ireland, 26.9% arrived in Australia from 2011 - 2016 and 16.9% from 2006 - 2010.

View the data quality statement for Year of arrival in Australia (YARP)
Citizenship Born in Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Australian citizen 40,492 54.1 3,652,290 59.3 15,304,785 98.0 19,278,834 82.4
Not an Australian citizen 32,667 43.6 2,402,591 39.0 86,884 0.6 2,507,458 10.7

In Australia of people who were born in Ireland, 54.1% were Australian citizens.

View the data quality statement for Australian citizenship (CITP)
Birthplace of spouse or partner Born in Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Spouse or partner born overseas 28,158 61.9 2,533,692 72.3 874,386 14.5 3,432,017 35.9
Spouse or partner born in Australia 15,796 34.7 874,386 25.0 4,975,104 82.7 5,872,893 61.4

In Australia of people who were born in Ireland and had a spouse or partner, 61.9% had a spouse or partner who was born overseas and 34.7% 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 Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Catholic 53,675 71.7 1,306,565 21.2 3,895,007 24.9 5,291,834 22.6
No Religion, so described 12,495 16.7 1,647,084 26.7 5,197,438 33.3 6,933,708 29.6
Anglican 2,095 2.8 535,049 8.7 2,504,891 16.0 3,101,185 13.3
Christian, nfd 760 1.0 211,734 3.4 391,430 2.5 612,371 2.6
Presbyterian and Reformed 756 1.0 143,637 2.3 371,592 2.4 526,689 2.3

In Australia of people who were born in Ireland, the most common responses to the religion question were Catholic 71.7%, No Religion, so described 16.7%, Anglican 2.8%, Christian, nfd 1.0% and Presbyterian and Reformed 1.0%.

View the data quality statement for Religious affiliation (RELP)
English language proficiency Born in Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Speaks English only 70,582 94.3 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 3,840 5.1 2,885,219 46.8 1,122,966 7.2 4,068,598 17.4
Not well or not at all 116 0.2 648,470 10.5 157,704 1.0 819,925 3.5

In Australia of people who were born in Ireland, 94.3% spoke English only at home. A further 5.1% 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 Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Worked full-time 36,361 71.7 2,052,828 58.4 4,491,739 57.5 6,623,065 57.7
Worked part-time 10,236 20.2 1,025,198 29.2 2,421,402 31.0 3,491,503 30.4
Away from work 2,435 4.8 158,027 4.5 397,088 5.1 569,276 5.0
Unemployed 1,712 3.4 277,586 7.9 498,013 6.4 787,452 6.9
Not in the labour force 18,417 26.4 2,221,922 38.3 3,913,066 33.1 6,297,600 33.1

In Australia of people who were born in Ireland and who were in the labour force, 71.7% worked full-time, 20.2% worked part-time and 3.4% 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 Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
1-15 hours per week 2,562 5.2 313,561 9.7 890,779 12.2 1,218,823 11.4
16-24 hours per week 3,558 7.3 358,890 11.1 706,291 9.7 1,079,236 10.1
25-34 hours per week 4,109 8.4 352,748 10.9 824,331 11.3 1,193,445 11.2
35-39 hours per week 8,533 17.4 705,848 21.8 1,300,092 17.8 2,031,263 19.0
40 hours or more per week 27,825 56.8 1,346,985 41.6 3,191,643 43.7 4,591,801 43.0

In Australia of people who were born in Ireland and who were employed, 56.8% worked 40 hours or more per week and 17.4% 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 Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Professionals 14,239 29.0 815,695 25.2 1,536,662 21.0 2,370,966 22.2
Technicians and Trades Workers 9,655 19.7 405,055 12.5 1,021,688 14.0 1,447,414 13.5
Managers 7,615 15.5 403,585 12.5 970,340 13.3 1,390,047 13.0
Clerical and Administrative Workers 5,800 11.8 393,619 12.2 1,040,953 14.2 1,449,681 13.6
Community and Personal Service Workers 3,625 7.4 351,854 10.9 789,597 10.8 1,157,003 10.8

In Australia of people who were born in Ireland, the most common responses for occupation were Professionals 29.0%, Technicians and Trades Workers 19.7%, Managers 15.5%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 11.8% and Community and Personal Service Workers 7.4%.

View the data quality statement for Occupation (OCCP)
Industry of employment, top responses
Employed people aged 15 years and over
Born in Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) 3,019 6.2 141,550 4.4 265,609 3.6 411,808 3.9
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 1,252 2.6 14,726 0.5 33,259 0.5 48,486 0.5
Non-Residential Building Construction 1,038 2.1 17,976 0.6 48,677 0.7 67,107 0.6
Carpentry Services 1,012 2.1 11,745 0.4 43,589 0.6 55,885 0.5
Engineering Design and Engineering Consulting Services 980 2.0 27,759 0.9 48,157 0.7 76,325 0.7

In Australia of people who were born in Ireland, the most common responses for industry of employment were Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) 6.2%, Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 2.6%, Non-Residential Building Construction 2.1%, Carpentry Services 2.1% and Engineering Design and Engineering Consulting Services 2.0%.

View the data quality statement for Industry of employment (INDP)
Median weekly income
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Personal 1,113 -- 615 -- 688 -- 662 --
Family 2,419 -- 1,725 -- 1,834 -- 1,734 --
Household 2,268 -- 1,562 -- 1,539 -- 1,438 --

In Australia of people who were born in Ireland, the personal weekly median income was $1,113. Family median weekly income was $2,419 and Household median weekly income was $2,268.

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 Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Car 29,492 60.1 1,986,872 61.4 5,009,484 68.5 7,090,101 66.4
Bus or train 7,290 14.9 453,292 14.0 454,116 6.2 915,328 8.6
Other 6,648 13.6 381,664 11.8 672,865 9.2 1,066,965 10.0

In Australia 60.1% of employed people who were born in Ireland travelled to work on census day by car, while 14.9% 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 Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Did unpaid domestic work (last week) 53,795 77.0 3,964,948 68.4 9,000,198 76.0 13,143,914 69.0
Cared for child/children (last two weeks) 21,132 30.2 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) 5,096 7.3 613,990 10.6 1,489,817 12.6 2,145,203 11.3
Did voluntary work through an organisation or group (last 12 months) 12,219 17.5 941,091 16.2 2,634,097 22.3 3,620,726 19.0

In Australia 77.0% of people who were born in Ireland did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, and 30.2% 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 Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Less than 5 hours per week 19,536 28.0 1,234,900 21.3 3,013,177 25.5 4,298,593 22.6
5 to 14 hours per week 20,904 29.9 1,509,217 26.0 3,371,602 28.5 4,944,578 26.0
15 to 29 hours per week 7,845 11.2 678,501 11.7 1,479,061 12.5 2,189,776 11.5
30 hours or more per week 5,513 7.9 542,335 9.4 1,136,359 9.6 1,710,970 9.0

In Australia of people who were born in Ireland and who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, 29.9% worked 5 to 14 hours, 11.2% worked 15 to 29 hours and 7.9% 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 Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Couple family without children 19,140 47.7 1,012,440 39.3 1,240,422 36.6 2,291,987 37.8
Couple family with children 18,509 46.1 1,248,241 48.4 1,434,939 42.3 2,716,224 44.7
One parent family 2,219 5.5 282,463 11.0 648,590 19.1 959,543 15.8
Other family 235 0.6 34,059 1.3 65,896 1.9 102,559 1.7
Families with a child under 5 7,600 18.9 446,733 17.3 591,182 17.4 1,037,904 17.1
Families with a child aged 0-15 years 14,916 37.2 977,697 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 Ireland. Of these families, 46.1% were couple families with children, 47.7% were couple families without children and 5.5% 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 Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Both employed, worked full-time 11,380 30.2 475,278 21.0 600,260 22.4 1,084,006 21.6
Both employed, worked part-time 1,089 2.9 97,948 4.3 103,266 3.9 203,596 4.1
One employed full-time, one part-time 8,741 23.2 424,478 18.8 652,771 24.4 1,086,460 21.7
One employed full-time, other not working 5,122 13.6 390,307 17.3 352,203 13.2 749,886 15.0
One employed part-time, other not working 1,613 4.3 156,274 6.9 141,852 5.3 302,037 6.0
Both not working 5,643 15.0 492,423 21.8 488,403 18.3 1,006,697 20.1
Other (includes away from work) 2,258 6.0 107,664 4.8 152,346 5.7 264,145 5.3
Labour force status not stated (by one or both parents in a couple family) 1,806 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 Ireland. Of these families, 30.2% of families had both parents working full-time, 23.2% of families had one parent working full-time and one parent working part-time, and 15.0% 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 Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Separate house 34,560 64.3 2,212,954 67.1 5,074,866 76.9 6,041,788 72.9
Semi-detached, row or terrace house, townhouse etc 8,614 16.0 466,800 14.1 779,497 11.8 1,055,016 12.7
Flat or apartment 10,160 18.9 585,471 17.7 668,862 10.1 1,087,434 13.1
Other dwelling 268 0.5 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 Ireland, 64.3% were a separate house, 18.9% were a flat or apartment, and 16.0% 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 Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
None (includes bedsitters) 152 0.3 17,187 0.5 23,956 0.4 39,769 0.5
1 bedroom 2,933 5.5 176,922 5.4 254,884 3.9 411,252 5.0
2 bedrooms 11,421 21.2 658,470 20.0 1,119,772 17.0 1,562,759 18.9
3 bedrooms 20,153 37.5 1,264,755 38.3 2,787,246 42.2 3,403,190 41.1
4 or more bedrooms 18,002 33.5 1,110,865 33.7 2,287,725 34.7 2,670,758 32.2
Number of bedrooms not stated 1,122 2.1 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 Ireland, 21.2% had two bedrooms, 37.5% had three bedrooms and 33.5% 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 Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Owned outright 13,296 24.7 970,425 29.4 2,013,505 30.5 2,565,695 31.0
Owned with a mortgage 17,744 33.0 1,122,252 34.0 2,474,999 37.5 2,855,222 34.5
Rented 21,183 39.4 1,099,840 33.3 1,907,007 28.9 2,561,302 30.9
Other tenure type 310 0.6 25,380 0.8 59,681 0.9 78,994 1.0
Tenure type not stated 1,253 2.3 81,928 2.5 144,494 2.2 224,869 2.7
Median monthly mortgage repayment 2,123 -- 1,950 -- 1,742 -- 1,755 --
Median weekly rent paid 450 -- 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 Ireland, 24.7% were owned outright, 33.0% were owned with a mortgage and 39.4% were rented. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,123 and the median weekly rent paid was $450.

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 Ireland % Born in Ireland All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
One family households 41,679 77.5 2,465,248 74.7 4,809,352 72.9 5,751,635 69.4
Multiple family households 859 1.6 101,470 3.1 137,593 2.1 155,992 1.9
Single (or lone) person households 7,623 14.2 559,665 17.0 1,403,935 21.3 2,023,542 24.4
Group households 3,629 6.7 173,452 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 Ireland' includes households in Australia where at least one person was born in Ireland. Of those households, 77.5% were one family households and 14.2% 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.