People in Australia who were born in Myanmar

2016 Census Country of birth QuickStats
Area code 0 by 5101
People 32,653
Male 16,483
Female 16,170
Australian citizen 53.3%
Not an Australian citizen 44.9%
Families 12,650
Couples with children 7,619
Couples without children 3,144
One parent families 1,573
Other families 312
All private dwellings 14,595
Median monthly mortgage repayment $1,876
Median weekly rent paid $301

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People

demographics & education | cultural & language diversity | employment

Demographics & education

People Born in Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Male 16,483 50.5 2,997,173 48.6 7,735,362 49.5 11,546,638 49.3
Female 16,170 49.5 3,166,493 51.4 7,880,175 50.5 11,855,248 50.7

In the 2016 Census, there were 32,653 people in Australia who were born in Myanmar. Of these 50.5% were male and 49.5% were female.

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

Age
People
Born in Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
0-14 years 1,742 5.3 366,872 6.0 3,777,875 24.2 4,364,607 18.7
15-24 years 4,690 14.4 612,643 9.9 2,197,847 14.1 2,988,390 12.8
25-34 years 7,478 22.9 1,130,884 18.3 1,994,601 12.8 3,368,449 14.4
35-44 years 6,307 19.3 1,021,528 16.6 1,911,355 12.2 3,144,935 13.4
45-54 years 5,009 15.3 961,980 15.6 1,920,340 12.3 3,105,007 13.3
55-64 years 3,534 10.8 840,595 13.6 1,704,198 10.9 2,753,734 11.8
65 years and over 3,890 11.9 1,229,161 19.9 2,109,310 13.5 3,676,765 15.7
Median age 38 -- 44 -- 34 -- 38 --

Of the population born in Myanmar who usually live in Australia, 5.3% were aged 0 - 14 years and 11.9% were aged 65 years and over. The median age of people in Australia who were born in Myanmar was 38 years.

View the data quality statement for Age (AGEP)
Registered marital status
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Married 18,973 61.4 3,362,174 58.0 5,158,710 43.6 9,148,218 48.1
Separated 723 2.3 178,867 3.1 376,863 3.2 608,059 3.2
Divorced 1,401 4.5 464,766 8.0 1,021,844 8.6 1,626,890 8.5
Widowed 1,600 5.2 326,987 5.6 560,940 4.7 985,204 5.2
Never married 8,217 26.6 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 Myanmar, 61.4% were married, 2.3% were separated, and 4.5% were divorced.

View the data quality statement for Registered marital status (MSTP)
Education Born in Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Pre-school 34 0.1 21,982 0.4 323,754 2.1 347,621 1.5
Primary 887 2.7 197,196 3.2 1,717,830 11.0 1,926,880 8.2
Secondary 1,785 5.5 224,770 3.6 1,211,676 7.8 1,446,506 6.2
University or tertiary institution 1,700 5.2 440,789 7.2 713,008 4.6 1,160,630 5.0
Technical or further education 1,851 5.7 152,909 2.5 267,689 1.7 424,870 1.8
Other 1,535 4.7 97,890 1.6 98,429 0.6 198,383 0.8
Institution attended, type not stated 802 2.5 117,292 1.9 329,449 2.1 1,707,023 7.3
Not attending an educational institution 24,056 73.7 4,910,840 79.7 10,953,685 70.1 16,189,980 69.2

Of the population born in Myanmar who usually live in Australia, 26.3% were attending an educational institution. There were 2.7% in primary school, 5.5% in secondary school and 10.9% 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 Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Bachelor Degree level and above 5,793 18.7 1,830,410 31.6 2,320,141 19.6 4,181,406 22.0
Advanced Diploma and Diploma level 1,747 5.7 587,176 10.1 1,079,954 9.1 1,687,893 8.9
Certificate level IV 491 1.6 120,064 2.1 425,836 3.6 551,767 2.9
Certificate level III 2,186 7.1 565,803 9.8 1,831,323 15.5 2,442,203 12.8
Year 12 4,293 13.9 1,051,623 18.1 1,902,337 16.1 2,994,097 15.7
Year 11 1,020 3.3 200,856 3.5 724,761 6.1 941,531 4.9
Year 10 3,481 11.3 418,929 7.2 1,588,715 13.4 2,054,331 10.8
Certificate level II 166 0.5 3,313 0.1 9,848 0.1 13,454 0.1
Certificate level I 90 0.3 863 0.0 1,266 0.0 2,176 0.0
Year 9 or below 5,773 18.7 458,176 7.9 1,027,299 8.7 1,529,897 8.0
No educational attainment 3,907 12.6 114,870 2.0 26,748 0.2 145,844 0.8
Not stated 1,251 4.0 264,618 4.6 570,419 4.8 1,974,794 10.4

Of the population born in Myanmar who usually live in Australia, 13.9% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 8.7% had completed a Certificate III or IV and 5.7% 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 Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Before 1941 11 0.0 9,289 0.2 -- -- -- --
1941 - 1950 227 0.7 84,378 1.4 -- -- -- --
1951 - 1960 136 0.4 321,721 5.2 -- -- -- --
1961 - 1970 1,804 5.5 590,106 9.6 -- -- -- --
1971 - 1980 1,900 5.8 541,319 8.8 -- -- -- --
1981 - 1990 1,479 4.5 768,312 12.5 -- -- -- --
1991 - 2000 3,340 10.2 766,940 12.4 -- -- -- --
2001 - 2005 1,855 5.7 559,084 9.1 -- -- -- --
2006 - 2010 9,334 28.6 985,332 16.0 -- -- -- --
2011 - 2016 11,760 36.0 1,324,426 21.5 -- -- -- --
Born in Australia -- -- -- -- 15,615,531 -- -- --

In Australia of people who were born in Myanmar, 36.0% arrived in Australia from 2011 - 2016 and 28.6% from 2006 - 2010.

View the data quality statement for Year of arrival in Australia (YARP)
Citizenship Born in Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Australian citizen 17,398 53.3 3,652,290 59.3 15,304,785 98.0 19,278,834 82.4
Not an Australian citizen 14,667 44.9 2,402,591 39.0 86,884 0.6 2,507,458 10.7

In Australia of people who were born in Myanmar, 53.3% were Australian citizens.

View the data quality statement for Australian citizenship (CITP)
Birthplace of spouse or partner Born in Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Spouse or partner born overseas 16,183 91.2 2,533,692 72.3 874,386 14.5 3,432,017 35.9
Spouse or partner born in Australia 1,268 7.1 874,386 25.0 4,975,104 82.7 5,872,893 61.4

In Australia of people who were born in Myanmar and had a spouse or partner, 91.2% had a spouse or partner who was born overseas and 7.1% 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 Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Baptist 10,133 31.0 105,653 1.7 234,177 1.5 345,142 1.5
Buddhism 8,163 25.0 400,332 6.5 156,171 1.0 563,674 2.4
Catholic 4,627 14.2 1,306,565 21.2 3,895,007 24.9 5,291,834 22.6
Islam 3,503 10.7 372,165 6.0 219,936 1.4 604,240 2.6
Christian, nfd 1,312 4.0 211,734 3.4 391,430 2.5 612,371 2.6

In Australia of people who were born in Myanmar, the most common responses to the religion question were Baptist 31.0%, Buddhism 25.0%, Catholic 14.2%, Islam 10.7% and Christian, nfd 4.0%.

View the data quality statement for Religious affiliation (RELP)
English language proficiency Born in Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Speaks English only 4,009 12.3 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 16,062 49.2 2,885,219 46.8 1,122,966 7.2 4,068,598 17.4
Not well or not at all 12,303 37.7 648,470 10.5 157,704 1.0 819,925 3.5

In Australia of people who were born in Myanmar, 12.3% spoke English only at home. A further 49.2% 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 Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Worked full-time 9,232 57.0 2,052,828 58.4 4,491,739 57.5 6,623,065 57.7
Worked part-time 4,296 26.5 1,025,198 29.2 2,421,402 31.0 3,491,503 30.4
Away from work 597 3.7 158,027 4.5 397,088 5.1 569,276 5.0
Unemployed 2,079 12.8 277,586 7.9 498,013 6.4 787,452 6.9
Not in the labour force 14,453 46.8 2,221,922 38.3 3,913,066 33.1 6,297,600 33.1

In Australia of people who were born in Myanmar and who were in the labour force, 57.0% worked full-time, 26.5% worked part-time and 12.8% 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 Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
1-15 hours per week 1,314 9.3 313,561 9.7 890,779 12.2 1,218,823 11.4
16-24 hours per week 1,258 8.9 358,890 11.1 706,291 9.7 1,079,236 10.1
25-34 hours per week 1,727 12.2 352,748 10.9 824,331 11.3 1,193,445 11.2
35-39 hours per week 4,757 33.7 705,848 21.8 1,300,092 17.8 2,031,263 19.0
40 hours or more per week 4,475 31.7 1,346,985 41.6 3,191,643 43.7 4,591,801 43.0

In Australia of people who were born in Myanmar and who were employed, 31.7% worked 40 hours or more per week and 33.7% 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 Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Labourers 4,348 30.8 354,542 11.0 638,102 8.7 1,011,520 9.5
Professionals 2,507 17.7 815,695 25.2 1,536,662 21.0 2,370,966 22.2
Community and Personal Service Workers 1,736 12.3 351,854 10.9 789,597 10.8 1,157,003 10.8
Technicians and Trades Workers 1,673 11.8 405,055 12.5 1,021,688 14.0 1,447,414 13.5
Machinery Operators and Drivers 1,195 8.5 210,138 6.5 447,114 6.1 670,106 6.3

In Australia of people who were born in Myanmar, the most common responses for occupation were Labourers 30.8%, Professionals 17.7%, Community and Personal Service Workers 12.3%, Technicians and Trades Workers 11.8% and Machinery Operators and Drivers 8.5%.

View the data quality statement for Occupation (OCCP)
Industry of employment, top responses
Employed people aged 15 years and over
Born in Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) 946 6.8 141,550 4.4 265,609 3.6 411,808 3.9
Meat Processing 671 4.8 11,594 0.4 16,747 0.2 28,852 0.3
Aged Care Residential Services 506 3.6 90,571 2.8 117,174 1.6 211,621 2.0
General Practice Medical Services 455 3.2 38,065 1.2 56,921 0.8 96,014 0.9
Child Care Services 452 3.2 42,996 1.3 73,892 1.0 118,234 1.1

In Australia of people who were born in Myanmar, the most common responses for industry of employment were Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) 6.8%, Meat Processing 4.8%, Aged Care Residential Services 3.6%, General Practice Medical Services 3.2% and Child Care Services 3.2%.

View the data quality statement for Industry of employment (INDP)
Median weekly income
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Personal 438 -- 615 -- 688 -- 662 --
Family 1,233 -- 1,725 -- 1,834 -- 1,734 --
Household 1,325 -- 1,562 -- 1,539 -- 1,438 --

In Australia of people who were born in Myanmar, the personal weekly median income was $438. Family median weekly income was $1,233 and Household median weekly income was $1,325.

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 Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Car 10,692 75.7 1,986,872 61.4 5,009,484 68.5 7,090,101 66.4
Bus or train 1,426 10.1 453,292 14.0 454,116 6.2 915,328 8.6
Other 872 6.2 381,664 11.8 672,865 9.2 1,066,965 10.0

In Australia 75.7% of employed people who were born in Myanmar travelled to work on census day by car, while 10.1% 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 Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Did unpaid domestic work (last week) 17,161 55.5 3,964,948 68.4 9,000,198 76.0 13,143,914 69.0
Cared for child/children (last two weeks) 9,666 31.3 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) 3,863 12.5 613,990 10.6 1,489,817 12.6 2,145,203 11.3
Did voluntary work through an organisation or group (last 12 months) 4,943 16.0 941,091 16.2 2,634,097 22.3 3,620,726 19.0

In Australia 55.5% of people who were born in Myanmar did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, and 31.3% 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 Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Less than 5 hours per week 5,053 16.3 1,234,900 21.3 3,013,177 25.5 4,298,593 22.6
5 to 14 hours per week 6,188 20.0 1,509,217 26.0 3,371,602 28.5 4,944,578 26.0
15 to 29 hours per week 2,803 9.1 678,501 11.7 1,479,061 12.5 2,189,776 11.5
30 hours or more per week 3,121 10.1 542,335 9.4 1,136,359 9.6 1,710,970 9.0

In Australia of people who were born in Myanmar and who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, 20.0% worked 5 to 14 hours, 9.1% 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 Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Couple family without children 3,144 24.9 1,012,440 39.3 1,240,422 36.6 2,291,987 37.8
Couple family with children 7,619 60.2 1,248,241 48.4 1,434,939 42.3 2,716,224 44.7
One parent family 1,573 12.4 282,463 11.0 648,590 19.1 959,543 15.8
Other family 312 2.5 34,059 1.3 65,896 1.9 102,559 1.7
Families with a child under 5 3,533 27.9 446,733 17.3 591,182 17.4 1,037,904 17.1
Families with a child aged 0-15 years 6,577 52.0 977,697 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 Myanmar. Of these families, 60.2% were couple families with children, 24.9% were couple families without children and 12.4% 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 Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Both employed, worked full-time 1,517 14.1 475,278 21.0 600,260 22.4 1,084,006 21.6
Both employed, worked part-time 391 3.6 97,948 4.3 103,266 3.9 203,596 4.1
One employed full-time, one part-time 1,428 13.3 424,478 18.8 652,771 24.4 1,086,460 21.7
One employed full-time, other not working 2,506 23.3 390,307 17.3 352,203 13.2 749,886 15.0
One employed part-time, other not working 925 8.6 156,274 6.9 141,852 5.3 302,037 6.0
Both not working 3,277 30.4 492,423 21.8 488,403 18.3 1,006,697 20.1
Other (includes away from work) 349 3.2 107,664 4.8 152,346 5.7 264,145 5.3
Labour force status not stated (by one or both parents in a couple family) 372 3.5 116,299 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 Myanmar. Of these families, 14.1% of families had both parents working full-time, 13.3% of families had one parent working full-time and one parent working part-time, and 30.4% 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 Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Separate house 10,297 70.6 2,212,954 67.1 5,074,866 76.9 6,041,788 72.9
Semi-detached, row or terrace house, townhouse etc 1,950 13.4 466,800 14.1 779,497 11.8 1,055,016 12.7
Flat or apartment 2,244 15.4 585,471 17.7 668,862 10.1 1,087,434 13.1
Other dwelling 41 0.3 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 Myanmar, 70.6% were a separate house, 15.4% were a flat or apartment, and 13.4% 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 Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
None (includes bedsitters) 78 0.5 17,187 0.5 23,956 0.4 39,769 0.5
1 bedroom 630 4.3 176,922 5.4 254,884 3.9 411,252 5.0
2 bedrooms 2,874 19.7 658,470 20.0 1,119,772 17.0 1,562,759 18.9
3 bedrooms 6,004 41.2 1,264,755 38.3 2,787,246 42.2 3,403,190 41.1
4 or more bedrooms 4,644 31.8 1,110,865 33.7 2,287,725 34.7 2,670,758 32.2
Number of bedrooms not stated 357 2.4 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 Myanmar, 19.7% had two bedrooms, 41.2% had three bedrooms and 31.8% 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 Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Owned outright 2,798 19.2 970,425 29.4 2,013,505 30.5 2,565,695 31.0
Owned with a mortgage 4,659 31.9 1,122,252 34.0 2,474,999 37.5 2,855,222 34.5
Rented 6,656 45.6 1,099,840 33.3 1,907,007 28.9 2,561,302 30.9
Other tenure type 104 0.7 25,380 0.8 59,681 0.9 78,994 1.0
Tenure type not stated 383 2.6 81,928 2.5 144,494 2.2 224,869 2.7
Median monthly mortgage repayment 1,876 -- 1,950 -- 1,742 -- 1,755 --
Median weekly rent paid 301 -- 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 Myanmar, 19.2% were owned outright, 31.9% were owned with a mortgage and 45.6% were rented. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,876 and the median weekly rent paid was $301.

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 Myanmar % Born in Myanmar All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
One family households 11,111 76.1 2,465,248 74.7 4,809,352 72.9 5,751,635 69.4
Multiple family households 1,012 6.9 101,470 3.1 137,593 2.1 155,992 1.9
Single (or lone) person households 1,616 11.1 559,665 17.0 1,403,935 21.3 2,023,542 24.4
Group households 869 5.9 173,452 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 Myanmar' includes households in Australia where at least one person was born in Myanmar. Of those households, 76.1% were one family households and 11.1% 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.