idc-logo
svg rectangle color
AustraliaCommunity profile

Regional NSW

Language used at home

In Regional NSW, 6.6% of people used a language other than English at home in 2021.

Regional NSW's language statistics show the proportion of the population who use a language at home other than English. They indicate how culturally diverse a population is and the degree to which different ethnic groups and nationalities are retaining their language.

Regional NSW's language statistics should be analysed in conjunction with Country of Birth and Proficiency in English to assist in identifying specific cultural and ethnic groups in the area and the services required by the multicultural community.

Please note: Due to ABS rules regarding perturbation of data to protect the confidentiality of individuals, counts of individual language groups and totals derived from them may differ slightly from those published by the ABS.

Q:

Derived from the Census question:

'Does the person use a language other than English at home?'

Language used at home - Summary
Regional NSW - Total persons (Usual residence)20212011Change
Language summaryNumber%Western Australia %Number%Western Australia %2011 to 2021
Speaks English only2,456,31586.875.32,272,19390.479.3+184,122
Non-English total187,5336.618.4126,1745.014.5+61,359
Not stated185,7896.66.3114,5894.66.2+71,200
Total Population2,829,637100.0100.02,512,956100.0100.0+316,681
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2011 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information
Language used at home - Ranked by size
Regional NSW - Total persons (Usual residence)20212011Change
Language (excludes English)Number%Western Australia %Number%Western Australia %2011 to 2021
Mandarin11,0970.41.95,7290.21.3+5,368
Italian10,6780.41.014,5630.61.4-3,885
Filipino/Tagalog10,0130.41.14,7380.20.6+5,275
Punjabi9,2000.30.82,8230.10.2+6,377
Macedonian8,9070.30.29,8470.40.3-940
Spanish8,4090.30.55,6950.20.4+2,714
Arabic7,6700.30.65,4290.20.5+2,241
Nepali6,4930.20.25530.00.0+5,940
German6,4910.20.37,4090.30.4-918
Greek5,4910.20.25,7710.20.2-280
Show all (102 entries)

Excludes languages spoken at home by fewer than 10 people.

Dominant groups

Analysis of the language used at home by the population of Regional NSW in 2021 compared to Western Australia shows that there was a larger proportion of people who used English only, and a smaller proportion of those using a non-English language (either exclusively, or in addition to English).

Overall, 86.8% of the population used English only, and 6.6% used a non-English language, compared with 75.3% and 18.4% respectively for Western Australia.

The dominant language used at home, other than English, in Regional NSW was Mandarin, with 0.4% of the population, or 11,097 people using this language at home.

The major difference between the languages used at home for the population of Regional NSW and Western Australia in 2021 was:

  • A smaller percentage using Mandarin at home (0.4% compared to 1.9%)

Emerging groups

Between 2011 and 2021, the number of people who used a language other than English at home increased by 61,359 or 48.6%, and the number of people who used English only increased by 184,122 or 8.1%.

The largest changes in the languages used by the population in Regional NSW between 2011 and 2021 were for those using:

  • Punjabi (+6,377 persons)
  • Nepali (+5,940 persons)
  • Mandarin (+5,368 persons)
  • Filipino/Tagalog (+5,275 persons)

DISCLAIMER: While all due care has been taken to ensure that the content of this website is accurate and current, there may be errors or omissions in it and no legal responsibility is accepted for the information and opinions in this website.

Please view our Privacy Policy, Terms of use and Legal notices.

ABS Data and the copyright in the ABS Data remains the property of the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The copyright in the way .id has modified, transformed or reconfigured the ABS Data as published on this website remains the property of .id. ABS Data can be accessed from the Australian Bureau of Statistics at www.abs.gov.au. ABS data can be used under license - terms published on ABS website. intermediary.management@abs.gov.au if you have any queries or wish to distribute any ABS data.