People in Greater Brisbane who were born in Sri Lanka

2016 Census Country of birth QuickStats
Area code 3GBRI by 7107
People 7,086
Male 3,620
Female 3,466
Australian citizen 61.1%
Not an Australian citizen 37.6%
Families 2,849
Couples with children 1,682
Couples without children 907
One parent families 229
Other families 38
All private dwellings 3,488
Median monthly mortgage repayment $2,113
Median weekly rent paid $360

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People

demographics & education | cultural & language diversity | employment

Demographics & education

People Born in Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Male 3,620 51.1 287,771 48.6 760,476 49.4 1,117,452 49.2
Female 3,466 48.9 304,822 51.4 778,334 50.6 1,153,351 50.8

In the 2016 Census, there were 7,086 people in Greater Brisbane who were born in Sri Lanka. Of these 51.1% were male and 48.9% were female.

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

Age
People
Born in Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
0-14 years 589 8.3 44,105 7.4 379,703 24.7 444,404 19.6
15-24 years 649 9.2 71,912 12.1 228,039 14.8 317,323 14.0
25-34 years 1,357 19.2 112,709 19.0 208,235 13.5 343,233 15.1
35-44 years 1,394 19.7 104,362 17.6 194,745 12.7 317,932 14.0
45-54 years 1,171 16.5 95,718 16.2 184,667 12.0 299,059 13.2
55-64 years 968 13.7 73,600 12.4 155,239 10.1 244,790 10.8
65 years and over 955 13.5 90,182 15.2 188,190 12.2 304,063 13.4
Median age 41 -- 41 -- 32 -- 35 --

Of the population born in Sri Lanka who usually live in Greater Brisbane, 8.3% were aged 0 - 14 years and 13.5% were aged 65 years and over. The median age of people in Greater Brisbane who were born in Sri Lanka was 41 years.

View the data quality statement for Age (AGEP)
Registered marital status
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Married 4,604 70.8 302,530 55.2 498,337 43.0 851,123 46.6
Separated 133 2.0 17,905 3.3 38,843 3.4 61,500 3.4
Divorced 296 4.6 43,606 8.0 102,016 8.8 157,596 8.6
Widowed 266 4.1 23,901 4.4 49,030 4.2 80,951 4.4
Never married 1,203 18.5 160,541 29.3 470,889 40.6 675,229 37.0

Of people in Greater Brisbane aged 15 years and over who were born in Sri Lanka, 70.8% were married, 2.0% were separated, and 4.6% were divorced.

View the data quality statement for Registered marital status (MSTP)
Education Born in Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Pre-school 18 0.3 2,135 0.4 26,499 1.7 28,756 1.3
Primary 342 4.8 23,144 3.9 170,648 11.1 194,812 8.6
Secondary 334 4.7 27,136 4.6 117,071 7.6 145,082 6.4
University or tertiary institution 683 9.6 47,032 7.9 85,546 5.6 133,190 5.9
Technical or further education 127 1.8 15,328 2.6 24,690 1.6 40,354 1.8
Other 70 1.0 9,269 1.6 10,754 0.7 20,209 0.9
Institution attended, type not stated 107 1.5 10,273 1.7 26,398 1.7 148,893 6.6
Not attending an educational institution 5,407 76.3 458,286 77.3 1,077,212 70.0 1,559,506 68.7

Of the population born in Sri Lanka who usually live in Greater Brisbane, 23.7% were attending an educational institution. There were 4.8% in primary school, 4.7% in secondary school and 11.4% 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 Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Bachelor Degree level and above 2,914 44.9 168,540 30.7 247,418 21.3 418,270 22.9
Advanced Diploma and Diploma level 821 12.7 57,155 10.4 108,441 9.4 167,153 9.2
Certificate level IV 83 1.3 12,717 2.3 39,442 3.4 52,538 2.9
Certificate level III 399 6.1 63,701 11.6 179,982 15.5 246,848 13.5
Year 12 1,153 17.8 107,955 19.7 214,626 18.5 325,802 17.8
Year 11 230 3.5 20,172 3.7 51,020 4.4 72,093 3.9
Year 10 331 5.1 42,511 7.8 158,778 13.7 204,727 11.2
Certificate level II 0 0.0 315 0.1 747 0.1 1,090 0.1
Certificate level I 0 0.0 91 0.0 117 0.0 210 0.0
Year 9 or below 170 2.6 28,782 5.2 83,625 7.2 115,240 6.3
No educational attainment 20 0.3 6,892 1.3 2,183 0.2 9,276 0.5
Not stated 209 3.2 22,625 4.1 44,839 3.9 167,619 9.2

Of the population born in Sri Lanka who usually live in Greater Brisbane, 17.8% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 7.4% had completed a Certificate III or IV and 12.7% 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 Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Before 1941 0 0.0 591 0.1 -- -- -- --
1941 - 1950 26 0.4 6,081 1.0 -- -- -- --
1951 - 1960 101 1.4 19,849 3.3 -- -- -- --
1961 - 1970 291 4.1 39,324 6.6 -- -- -- --
1971 - 1980 388 5.5 47,038 7.9 -- -- -- --
1981 - 1990 849 12.0 74,711 12.6 -- -- -- --
1991 - 2000 1,046 14.8 78,405 13.2 -- -- -- --
2001 - 2005 652 9.2 62,511 10.5 -- -- -- --
2006 - 2010 1,728 24.4 111,172 18.8 -- -- -- --
2011 - 2016 1,884 26.6 133,124 22.5 -- -- -- --
Born in Australia -- -- -- -- 1,538,813 -- -- --

In Greater Brisbane of people who were born in Sri Lanka, 26.6% arrived in Australia from 2011 - 2016 and 24.4% from 2006 - 2010.

View the data quality statement for Year of arrival in Australia (YARP)
Citizenship Born in Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Australian citizen 4,332 61.1 323,295 54.6 1,503,012 97.7 1,849,010 81.4
Not an Australian citizen 2,662 37.6 258,168 43.6 12,558 0.8 272,540 12.0

In Greater Brisbane of people who were born in Sri Lanka, 61.1% were Australian citizens.

View the data quality statement for Australian citizenship (CITP)
Birthplace of spouse or partner Born in Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Spouse or partner born overseas 3,795 87.9 225,382 68.4 94,651 15.8 322,038 34.6
Spouse or partner born in Australia 400 9.3 94,652 28.7 487,351 81.6 583,839 62.7

In Greater Brisbane of people who were born in Sri Lanka and had a spouse or partner, 87.9% had a spouse or partner who was born overseas and 9.3% 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 Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Buddhism 3,239 45.6 30,202 5.1 13,784 0.9 44,476 2.0
Catholic 1,487 21.0 111,006 18.7 371,546 24.1 488,563 21.5
Hinduism 979 13.8 27,186 4.6 6,036 0.4 33,485 1.5
No Religion, so described 291 4.1 177,742 30.0 510,584 33.2 695,088 30.6
Anglican 278 3.9 58,797 9.9 239,929 15.6 303,083 13.3

In Greater Brisbane of people who were born in Sri Lanka, the most common responses to the religion question were Buddhism 45.6%, Catholic 21.0%, Hinduism 13.8%, No Religion, so described 4.1% and Anglican 3.9%.

View the data quality statement for Religious affiliation (RELP)
English language proficiency Born in Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Speaks English only 1,812 25.5 304,152 51.3 1,447,876 94.1 1,771,105 78.0
Speaks other language and speaks English:  null  null  null  null  null  null  null  null
Very well or well 4,879 68.8 239,637 40.4 66,647 4.3 309,822 13.6
Not well or not at all 363 5.1 44,498 7.5 12,632 0.8 57,867 2.5

In Greater Brisbane of people who were born in Sri Lanka, 25.5% spoke English only at home. A further 68.8% 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 Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Worked full-time 2,618 58.7 208,514 58.2 467,446 59.1 681,706 58.8
Worked part-time 1,242 27.8 103,984 29.0 232,277 29.4 339,295 29.3
Away from work 163 3.7 15,267 4.3 36,494 4.6 52,783 4.6
Unemployed 438 9.8 30,521 8.5 54,146 6.9 85,640 7.4
Not in the labour force 1,989 30.6 185,233 33.8 360,000 31.1 556,409 30.5

In Greater Brisbane of people who were born in Sri Lanka and who were in the labour force, 58.7% worked full-time, 27.8% worked part-time and 9.8% 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 Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
1-15 hours per week 402 10.0 31,019 9.5 83,664 11.4 115,627 10.8
16-24 hours per week 376 9.4 34,857 10.6 66,297 9.0 102,096 9.5
25-34 hours per week 459 11.4 38,101 11.6 82,321 11.2 121,569 11.3
35-39 hours per week 1,122 27.9 74,185 22.6 142,401 19.3 218,629 20.4
40 hours or more per week 1,495 37.2 134,325 41.0 325,046 44.2 463,070 43.1

In Greater Brisbane of people who were born in Sri Lanka and who were employed, 37.2% worked 40 hours or more per week and 27.9% 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 Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Professionals 1,523 37.9 79,734 24.3 165,171 22.4 246,294 22.9
Labourers 492 12.3 39,493 12.0 60,518 8.2 101,412 9.4
Clerical and Administrative Workers 474 11.8 41,483 12.7 115,901 15.7 158,546 14.8
Community and Personal Service Workers 432 10.8 36,437 11.1 79,059 10.7 116,612 10.9
Managers 380 9.5 37,565 11.5 88,746 12.1 127,222 11.8

In Greater Brisbane of people who were born in Sri Lanka, the most common responses for occupation were Professionals 37.9%, Labourers 12.3%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 11.8%, Community and Personal Service Workers 10.8% and Managers 9.5%.

View the data quality statement for Occupation (OCCP)
Industry of employment, top responses
Employed people aged 15 years and over
Born in Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) 235 6.0 16,600 5.1 30,647 4.2 47,630 4.4
Building and Other Industrial Cleaning Services 202 5.1 7,140 2.2 6,140 0.8 13,450 1.3
Child Care Services 182 4.6 4,964 1.5 9,409 1.3 14,476 1.3
Higher Education 176 4.5 7,154 2.2 10,967 1.5 18,210 1.7
General Practice Medical Services 156 4.0 3,532 1.1 5,771 0.8 9,367 0.9

In Greater Brisbane of people who were born in Sri Lanka, the most common responses for industry of employment were Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) 6.0%, Building and Other Industrial Cleaning Services 5.1%, Child Care Services 4.6%, Higher Education 4.5% and General Practice Medical Services 4.0%.

View the data quality statement for Industry of employment (INDP)
Median weekly income
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Personal 701 -- 661 -- 727 -- 703 --
Family 1,929 -- 1,805 -- 1,919 -- 1,821 --
Household 1,826 -- 1,689 -- 1,657 -- 1,562 --

In Greater Brisbane of people who were born in Sri Lanka, the personal weekly median income was $701. Family median weekly income was $1,929 and Household median weekly income was $1,826.

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 Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Car 2,604 64.6 212,639 64.9 494,526 67.2 713,824 66.5
Bus or train 592 14.7 36,191 11.0 58,691 8.0 95,545 8.9
Other 353 8.8 35,172 10.7 68,072 9.2 104,127 9.7

In Greater Brisbane 64.6% of employed people who were born in Sri Lanka travelled to work on census day by car, while 14.7% 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 Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Did unpaid domestic work (last week) 4,666 71.9 391,455 71.4 908,399 78.4 1,312,615 71.9
Cared for child/children (last two weeks) 1,935 29.8 170,940 31.2 354,076 30.5 530,593 29.1
Provided unpaid assistance to a person with a disability (last two weeks) 631 9.7 53,734 9.8 140,281 12.1 196,784 10.8
Did voluntary work through an organisation or group (last 12 months) 1,520 23.4 95,471 17.4 241,348 20.8 339,835 18.6

In Greater Brisbane 71.9% of people who were born in Sri Lanka did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, and 29.8% 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 Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Less than 5 hours per week 1,220 18.8 125,738 22.9 314,149 27.1 443,640 24.3
5 to 14 hours per week 1,782 27.5 151,745 27.7 345,689 29.8 502,065 27.5
15 to 29 hours per week 857 13.2 64,758 11.8 143,283 12.4 210,175 11.5
30 hours or more per week 802 12.4 49,217 9.0 105,284 9.1 156,732 8.6

In Greater Brisbane of people who were born in Sri Lanka and who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, 27.5% worked 5 to 14 hours, 13.2% worked 15 to 29 hours and 12.4% 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 Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Couple family without children 907 31.8 95,105 38.1 119,906 35.8 217,362 36.7
Couple family with children 1,682 59.0 123,476 49.5 140,937 42.1 266,696 45.1
One parent family 229 8.0 27,809 11.1 66,338 19.8 96,326 16.3
Other family 38 1.3 3,169 1.3 7,767 2.3 11,119 1.9
Families with a child under 5 555 19.4 46,356 18.6 58,479 17.5 104,842 17.7
Families with a child aged 0-15 years 1,304 45.7 103,050 41.3 137,046 40.9 240,103 40.6

These statistics are for families in Greater Brisbane. They are for families where the reference person and/or their spouse or partner was born in Sri Lanka. Of these families, 59.0% were couple families with children, 31.8% were couple families without children and 8.0% 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 Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Both employed, worked full-time 638 24.7 51,223 23.4 65,883 25.3 117,641 24.3
Both employed, worked part-time 108 4.2 9,171 4.2 8,486 3.3 17,780 3.7
One employed full-time, one part-time 515 19.9 44,423 20.3 60,265 23.1 105,304 21.8
One employed full-time, other not working 518 20.0 38,840 17.8 35,908 13.8 75,249 15.5
One employed part-time, other not working 182 7.0 13,962 6.4 12,639 4.8 26,833 5.5
Both not working 382 14.8 39,117 17.9 46,412 17.8 87,081 18.0
Other (includes away from work) 114 4.4 10,963 5.0 14,408 5.5 25,621 5.3
Labour force status not stated (by one or both parents in a couple family) 129 5.0 10,882 5.0 16,846 6.5 28,548 5.9

These statistics are for families in Greater Brisbane. They are for families where the reference person and/or their spouse or partner was born in Sri Lanka. Of these families, 24.7% of families had both parents working full-time, 19.9% of families had one parent working full-time and one parent working part-time, and 14.8% 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 Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Separate house 2,525 72.4 232,603 73.9 510,982 79.5 602,947 76.4
Semi-detached, row or terrace house, townhouse etc 388 11.1 35,398 11.2 57,342 8.9 79,228 10.0
Flat or apartment 554 15.9 44,141 14.0 68,565 10.7 99,679 12.6
Other dwelling 8 0.2 1,478 0.5 3,499 0.5 4,659 0.6

These statistics are for occupied private dwellings in Greater Brisbane. For the dwellings that were occupied on census night by a person or persons who were born in Sri Lanka, 72.4% were a separate house, 15.9% were a flat or apartment, and 11.1% 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 Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
None (includes bedsitters) 12 0.3 1,122 0.4 2,015 0.3 3,045 0.4
1 bedroom 163 4.7 12,524 4.0 22,315 3.5 33,404 4.2
2 bedrooms 514 14.7 47,503 15.1 89,963 14.0 121,145 15.3
3 bedrooms 1,086 31.2 115,553 36.7 254,015 39.5 307,055 38.9
4 or more bedrooms 1,635 46.9 131,763 41.8 262,854 40.9 307,538 39.0
Number of bedrooms not stated 76 2.2 6,387 2.0 11,326 1.8 17,273 2.2

These statistics are for occupied private dwellings in Greater Brisbane. For the dwellings that were occupied on census night by a person or persons who were born in Sri Lanka, 14.7% had two bedrooms, 31.2% had three bedrooms and 46.9% 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 Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Owned outright 681 19.5 74,798 23.8 168,873 26.3 208,811 26.4
Owned with a mortgage 1,502 43.0 114,989 36.5 244,144 38.0 281,867 35.7
Rented 1,203 34.5 115,916 36.8 211,408 32.9 272,751 34.5
Other tenure type 18 0.5 1,972 0.6 5,192 0.8 6,656 0.8
Tenure type not stated 87 2.5 7,174 2.3 12,861 2.0 19,374 2.5
Median monthly mortgage repayment 2,113 -- 1,950 -- 1,863 -- 1,861 --
Median weekly rent paid 360 -- 375 -- 355 -- 355 --

These statistics are for occupied private dwellings in Greater Brisbane. For the dwellings that were occupied on census night by a person or persons who were born in Sri Lanka, 19.5% were owned outright, 43.0% were owned with a mortgage and 34.5% were rented. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,113 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 Sri Lanka % Born in Sri Lanka All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
One family households 2,767 79.3 240,109 76.3 472,222 73.5 557,987 70.7
Multiple family households 101 2.9 10,205 3.2 14,646 2.3 16,447 2.1
Single (or lone) person households 415 11.9 45,321 14.4 123,899 19.3 173,424 22.0
Group households 207 5.9 19,206 6.1 31,712 4.9 41,605 5.3

All occupants of a private dwelling complete one census form and are counted as a household. 'Born in Sri Lanka' includes households in Greater Brisbane where at least one person was born in Sri Lanka. Of those households, 79.3% were one family households and 11.9% 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.