People in Australia who were born in Eritrea

2016 Census Country of birth QuickStats
Area code 0 by 9206
People 4,300
Male 2,118
Female 2,182
Australian citizen 63.7%
Not an Australian citizen 33.5%
Families 1,761
Couples with children 1,073
Couples without children 203
One parent families 455
Other families 32
All private dwellings 2,327
Median monthly mortgage repayment $1,733
Median weekly rent paid $280

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People

demographics & education | cultural & language diversity | employment

Demographics & education

People Born in Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Male 2,118 49.3 2,997,173 48.6 7,735,362 49.5 11,546,638 49.3
Female 2,182 50.7 3,166,493 51.4 7,880,175 50.5 11,855,248 50.7

In the 2016 Census, there were 4,300 people in Australia who were born in Eritrea. Of these 49.3% were male and 50.7% were female.

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

Age
People
Born in Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
0-14 years 593 13.8 366,872 6.0 3,777,875 24.2 4,364,607 18.7
15-24 years 489 11.4 612,643 9.9 2,197,847 14.1 2,988,390 12.8
25-34 years 539 12.5 1,130,884 18.3 1,994,601 12.8 3,368,449 14.4
35-44 years 1,042 24.2 1,021,528 16.6 1,911,355 12.2 3,144,935 13.4
45-54 years 965 22.4 961,980 15.6 1,920,340 12.3 3,105,007 13.3
55-64 years 400 9.3 840,595 13.6 1,704,198 10.9 2,753,734 11.8
65 years and over 280 6.5 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 Eritrea who usually live in Australia, 13.8% were aged 0 - 14 years and 6.5% were aged 65 years and over. The median age of people in Australia who were born in Eritrea was 41 years.

View the data quality statement for Age (AGEP)
Registered marital status
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Married 2,025 54.7 3,362,174 58.0 5,158,710 43.6 9,148,218 48.1
Separated 258 7.0 178,867 3.1 376,863 3.2 608,059 3.2
Divorced 341 9.2 464,766 8.0 1,021,844 8.6 1,626,890 8.5
Widowed 197 5.3 326,987 5.6 560,940 4.7 985,204 5.2
Never married 878 23.7 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 Eritrea, 54.7% were married, 7.0% were separated, and 9.2% were divorced.

View the data quality statement for Registered marital status (MSTP)
Education Born in Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Pre-school 8 0.2 21,982 0.4 323,754 2.1 347,621 1.5
Primary 330 7.7 197,196 3.2 1,717,830 11.0 1,926,880 8.2
Secondary 318 7.4 224,770 3.6 1,211,676 7.8 1,446,506 6.2
University or tertiary institution 175 4.1 440,789 7.2 713,008 4.6 1,160,630 5.0
Technical or further education 374 8.7 152,909 2.5 267,689 1.7 424,870 1.8
Other 195 4.5 97,890 1.6 98,429 0.6 198,383 0.8
Institution attended, type not stated 234 5.4 117,292 1.9 329,449 2.1 1,707,023 7.3
Not attending an educational institution 2,663 62.0 4,910,840 79.7 10,953,685 70.1 16,189,980 69.2

Of the population born in Eritrea who usually live in Australia, 38.0% were attending an educational institution. There were 7.7% in primary school, 7.4% in secondary school and 12.8% 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 Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Bachelor Degree level and above 538 14.5 1,830,410 31.6 2,320,141 19.6 4,181,406 22.0
Advanced Diploma and Diploma level 388 10.5 587,176 10.1 1,079,954 9.1 1,687,893 8.9
Certificate level IV 71 1.9 120,064 2.1 425,836 3.6 551,767 2.9
Certificate level III 371 10.0 565,803 9.8 1,831,323 15.5 2,442,203 12.8
Year 12 783 21.1 1,051,623 18.1 1,902,337 16.1 2,994,097 15.7
Year 11 159 4.3 200,856 3.5 724,761 6.1 941,531 4.9
Year 10 249 6.7 418,929 7.2 1,588,715 13.4 2,054,331 10.8
Certificate level II 21 0.6 3,313 0.1 9,848 0.1 13,454 0.1
Certificate level I 3 0.1 863 0.0 1,266 0.0 2,176 0.0
Year 9 or below 496 13.4 458,176 7.9 1,027,299 8.7 1,529,897 8.0
No educational attainment 292 7.9 114,870 2.0 26,748 0.2 145,844 0.8
Not stated 198 5.3 264,618 4.6 570,419 4.8 1,974,794 10.4

Of the population born in Eritrea who usually live in Australia, 21.1% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 12.0% had completed a Certificate III or IV and 10.5% 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 Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Before 1941 0 0.0 9,289 0.2 -- -- -- --
1941 - 1950 0 0.0 84,378 1.4 -- -- -- --
1951 - 1960 18 0.4 321,721 5.2 -- -- -- --
1961 - 1970 32 0.7 590,106 9.6 -- -- -- --
1971 - 1980 32 0.7 541,319 8.8 -- -- -- --
1981 - 1990 219 5.1 768,312 12.5 -- -- -- --
1991 - 2000 1,178 27.4 766,940 12.4 -- -- -- --
2001 - 2005 483 11.2 559,084 9.1 -- -- -- --
2006 - 2010 764 17.8 985,332 16.0 -- -- -- --
2011 - 2016 1,421 33.1 1,324,426 21.5 -- -- -- --
Born in Australia -- -- -- -- 15,615,531 -- -- --

In Australia of people who were born in Eritrea, 33.1% arrived in Australia from 2011 - 2016 and 17.8% from 2006 - 2010.

View the data quality statement for Year of arrival in Australia (YARP)
Citizenship Born in Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Australian citizen 2,737 63.7 3,652,290 59.3 15,304,785 98.0 19,278,834 82.4
Not an Australian citizen 1,441 33.5 2,402,591 39.0 86,884 0.6 2,507,458 10.7

In Australia of people who were born in Eritrea, 63.7% were Australian citizens.

View the data quality statement for Australian citizenship (CITP)
Birthplace of spouse or partner Born in Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Spouse or partner born overseas 1,819 95.0 2,533,692 72.3 874,386 14.5 3,432,017 35.9
Spouse or partner born in Australia 48 2.5 874,386 25.0 4,975,104 82.7 5,872,893 61.4

In Australia of people who were born in Eritrea and had a spouse or partner, 95.0% had a spouse or partner who was born overseas and 2.5% had a spouse or partner born in Australia.

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

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

Religious affiliation, top responses
Results may include 'nfd' for 'not further defined'
Born in Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Islam 2,108 48.9 372,165 6.0 219,936 1.4 604,240 2.6
Oriental Orthodox 456 10.6 33,698 0.5 16,679 0.1 51,013 0.2
Eastern Orthodox 437 10.1 196,700 3.2 294,725 1.9 502,801 2.1
Christian, nfd 402 9.3 211,734 3.4 391,430 2.5 612,371 2.6
Catholic 343 8.0 1,306,565 21.2 3,895,007 24.9 5,291,834 22.6

In Australia of people who were born in Eritrea, the most common responses to the religion question were Islam 48.9%, Oriental Orthodox 10.6%, Eastern Orthodox 10.1%, Christian, nfd 9.3% and Catholic 8.0%.

View the data quality statement for Religious affiliation (RELP)
English language proficiency Born in Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Speaks English only 187 4.3 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 3,007 69.8 2,885,219 46.8 1,122,966 7.2 4,068,598 17.4
Not well or not at all 1,045 24.3 648,470 10.5 157,704 1.0 819,925 3.5

In Australia of people who were born in Eritrea, 4.3% spoke English only at home. A further 69.8% 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 Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Worked full-time 897 42.2 2,052,828 58.4 4,491,739 57.5 6,623,065 57.7
Worked part-time 641 30.1 1,025,198 29.2 2,421,402 31.0 3,491,503 30.4
Away from work 118 5.5 158,027 4.5 397,088 5.1 569,276 5.0
Unemployed 471 22.1 277,586 7.9 498,013 6.4 787,452 6.9
Not in the labour force 1,534 41.3 2,221,922 38.3 3,913,066 33.1 6,297,600 33.1

In Australia of people who were born in Eritrea and who were in the labour force, 42.2% worked full-time, 30.1% worked part-time and 22.1% 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 Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
1-15 hours per week 221 13.4 313,561 9.7 890,779 12.2 1,218,823 11.4
16-24 hours per week 193 11.7 358,890 11.1 706,291 9.7 1,079,236 10.1
25-34 hours per week 225 13.6 352,748 10.9 824,331 11.3 1,193,445 11.2
35-39 hours per week 370 22.4 705,848 21.8 1,300,092 17.8 2,031,263 19.0
40 hours or more per week 529 32.0 1,346,985 41.6 3,191,643 43.7 4,591,801 43.0

In Australia of people who were born in Eritrea and who were employed, 32.0% worked 40 hours or more per week and 22.4% 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 Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Labourers 394 23.8 354,542 11.0 638,102 8.7 1,011,520 9.5
Community and Personal Service Workers 330 19.9 351,854 10.9 789,597 10.8 1,157,003 10.8
Machinery Operators and Drivers 312 18.8 210,138 6.5 447,114 6.1 670,106 6.3
Professionals 237 14.3 815,695 25.2 1,536,662 21.0 2,370,966 22.2
Technicians and Trades Workers 117 7.1 405,055 12.5 1,021,688 14.0 1,447,414 13.5

In Australia of people who were born in Eritrea, the most common responses for occupation were Labourers 23.8%, Community and Personal Service Workers 19.9%, Machinery Operators and Drivers 18.8%, Professionals 14.3% and Technicians and Trades Workers 7.1%.

View the data quality statement for Occupation (OCCP)
Industry of employment, top responses
Employed people aged 15 years and over
Born in Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Child Care Services 121 7.7 42,996 1.3 73,892 1.0 118,234 1.1
Aged Care Residential Services 110 7.0 90,571 2.8 117,174 1.6 211,621 2.0
Building and Other Industrial Cleaning Services 105 6.7 64,744 2.0 64,388 0.9 131,908 1.2
Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) 88 5.6 141,550 4.4 265,609 3.6 411,808 3.9
Taxi and Other Road Transport 77 4.9 20,253 0.6 9,447 0.1 30,143 0.3

In Australia of people who were born in Eritrea, the most common responses for industry of employment were Child Care Services 7.7%, Aged Care Residential Services 7.0%, Building and Other Industrial Cleaning Services 6.7%, Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) 5.6% and Taxi and Other Road Transport 4.9%.

View the data quality statement for Industry of employment (INDP)
Median weekly income
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Personal 393 -- 615 -- 688 -- 662 --
Family 1,007 -- 1,725 -- 1,834 -- 1,734 --
Household 963 -- 1,562 -- 1,539 -- 1,438 --

In Australia of people who were born in Eritrea, the personal weekly median income was $393. Family median weekly income was $1,007 and Household median weekly income was $963.

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 Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Car 1,175 71.1 1,986,872 61.4 5,009,484 68.5 7,090,101 66.4
Bus or train 153 9.3 453,292 14.0 454,116 6.2 915,328 8.6
Other 167 10.1 381,664 11.8 672,865 9.2 1,066,965 10.0

In Australia 71.1% of employed people who were born in Eritrea travelled to work on census day by car, while 9.3% 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 Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Did unpaid domestic work (last week) 2,035 54.9 3,964,948 68.4 9,000,198 76.0 13,143,914 69.0
Cared for child/children (last two weeks) 1,381 37.2 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) 455 12.3 613,990 10.6 1,489,817 12.6 2,145,203 11.3
Did voluntary work through an organisation or group (last 12 months) 547 14.7 941,091 16.2 2,634,097 22.3 3,620,726 19.0

In Australia 54.9% of people who were born in Eritrea did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, and 37.2% 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 Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Less than 5 hours per week 618 16.7 1,234,900 21.3 3,013,177 25.5 4,298,593 22.6
5 to 14 hours per week 743 20.1 1,509,217 26.0 3,371,602 28.5 4,944,578 26.0
15 to 29 hours per week 285 7.7 678,501 11.7 1,479,061 12.5 2,189,776 11.5
30 hours or more per week 383 10.3 542,335 9.4 1,136,359 9.6 1,710,970 9.0

In Australia of people who were born in Eritrea and who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, 20.1% worked 5 to 14 hours, 7.7% worked 15 to 29 hours and 10.3% 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 Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Couple family without children 203 11.5 1,012,440 39.3 1,240,422 36.6 2,291,987 37.8
Couple family with children 1,073 60.9 1,248,241 48.4 1,434,939 42.3 2,716,224 44.7
One parent family 455 25.8 282,463 11.0 648,590 19.1 959,543 15.8
Other family 32 1.8 34,059 1.3 65,896 1.9 102,559 1.7
Families with a child under 5 636 36.1 446,733 17.3 591,182 17.4 1,037,904 17.1
Families with a child aged 0-15 years 1,194 67.8 977,697 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 Eritrea. Of these families, 60.9% were couple families with children, 11.5% were couple families without children and 25.8% 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 Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Both employed, worked full-time 107 8.4 475,278 21.0 600,260 22.4 1,084,006 21.6
Both employed, worked part-time 48 3.8 97,948 4.3 103,266 3.9 203,596 4.1
One employed full-time, one part-time 159 12.5 424,478 18.8 652,771 24.4 1,086,460 21.7
One employed full-time, other not working 301 23.7 390,307 17.3 352,203 13.2 749,886 15.0
One employed part-time, other not working 177 13.9 156,274 6.9 141,852 5.3 302,037 6.0
Both not working 344 27.1 492,423 21.8 488,403 18.3 1,006,697 20.1
Other (includes away from work) 72 5.7 107,664 4.8 152,346 5.7 264,145 5.3
Labour force status not stated (by one or both parents in a couple family) 61 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 Eritrea. Of these families, 8.4% of families had both parents working full-time, 12.5% of families had one parent working full-time and one parent working part-time, and 27.1% of families stated that both parents were not working.

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

Dwellings

dwelling structure | mortgage & rent | household composition

Dwelling structure

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

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households

Dwelling structure
Occupied private dwellings
Born in Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Separate house 1,233 53.0 2,212,954 67.1 5,074,866 76.9 6,041,788 72.9
Semi-detached, row or terrace house, townhouse etc 409 17.6 466,800 14.1 779,497 11.8 1,055,016 12.7
Flat or apartment 659 28.3 585,471 17.7 668,862 10.1 1,087,434 13.1
Other dwelling 14 0.6 20,721 0.6 48,617 0.7 64,425 0.8

These statistics are for occupied private dwellings in Australia. For the dwellings that were occupied on census night by a person or persons who were born in Eritrea, 53.0% were a separate house, 28.3% were a flat or apartment, and 17.6% 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 Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
None (includes bedsitters) 16 0.7 17,187 0.5 23,956 0.4 39,769 0.5
1 bedroom 112 4.8 176,922 5.4 254,884 3.9 411,252 5.0
2 bedrooms 522 22.4 658,470 20.0 1,119,772 17.0 1,562,759 18.9
3 bedrooms 919 39.5 1,264,755 38.3 2,787,246 42.2 3,403,190 41.1
4 or more bedrooms 652 28.0 1,110,865 33.7 2,287,725 34.7 2,670,758 32.2
Number of bedrooms not stated 107 4.6 71,635 2.2 126,102 1.9 198,351 2.4

These statistics are for occupied private dwellings in Australia. For the dwellings that were occupied on census night by a person or persons who were born in Eritrea, 22.4% had two bedrooms, 39.5% had three bedrooms and 28.0% 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 Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Owned outright 167 7.2 970,425 29.4 2,013,505 30.5 2,565,695 31.0
Owned with a mortgage 471 20.3 1,122,252 34.0 2,474,999 37.5 2,855,222 34.5
Rented 1,569 67.5 1,099,840 33.3 1,907,007 28.9 2,561,302 30.9
Other tenure type 14 0.6 25,380 0.8 59,681 0.9 78,994 1.0
Tenure type not stated 104 4.5 81,928 2.5 144,494 2.2 224,869 2.7
Median monthly mortgage repayment 1,733 -- 1,950 -- 1,742 -- 1,755 --
Median weekly rent paid 280 -- 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 Eritrea, 7.2% were owned outright, 20.3% were owned with a mortgage and 67.5% were rented. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733 and the median weekly rent paid was $280.

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 Eritrea % Born in Eritrea All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
One family households 1,848 79.3 2,465,248 74.7 4,809,352 72.9 5,751,635 69.4
Multiple family households 77 3.3 101,470 3.1 137,593 2.1 155,992 1.9
Single (or lone) person households 295 12.7 559,665 17.0 1,403,935 21.3 2,023,542 24.4
Group households 111 4.8 173,452 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 Eritrea' includes households in Australia where at least one person was born in Eritrea. Of those households, 79.3% were one family households and 12.7% 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.