The most common ancestry in Australia, according to the 2021 census, is English, reported by 33.0% of the population, closely followed by "Australian" (29.9%) and then Irish (9.5%) and Scottish (8.6%), indicating a predominantly European heritage, though Asian ancestries like Chinese and Indian are also significant and growing.
No, Australia is not 90% white; while a large majority identify with European ancestry (around 76-80% in recent years), a significant and growing portion identifies as Asian, African, Middle Eastern, or Indigenous, making it a highly multicultural nation with diverse ethnic backgrounds, not overwhelmingly white. Recent census data shows European ancestry (English, Irish, etc.) makes up a large chunk, but Asian ancestries are also substantial, with over 17% Asian population and around 3.8% identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, per the 2021 census data from Wikipedia.
At the 2021 census, the most commonly nominated Anglo-Celtic ancestries were: English Australian: 8,395,928. Irish Australian: 2,410,833. Scottish Australian: 2,176,777.
Australia's top immigrant groups by country of birth consistently feature the United Kingdom, India, China, and New Zealand, with recent rapid growth from India, China, the Philippines, and Nepal, making them key sources of new migrants alongside established communities from Italy and Vietnam. As of 2024, the largest source countries were England, India, China, and New Zealand, with India showing the biggest increase.
The majority (72.6%) of African emigrants to Australia are from southern and eastern Africa.
Is it cheaper to live in Australia or America? It depends on where you're comparing. Major U.S. cities like New York or San Francisco are typically more expensive than Sydney or Melbourne, but overall living costs—especially groceries and housing—can be higher in Australia due to import prices and taxes.
Pommy or pom
The terms pommy, pommie, and pom used in Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand usually denote a British person.
While many nationalities contribute to Australia's diverse makeup, the English and people identifying with Australian ancestry remain the largest groups by heritage, with significant populations also from Indian, Chinese, and New Zealand backgrounds, especially when considering country of birth. The nation is a multicultural blend, with European (especially British Isles) and increasing Asian ancestries forming the biggest segments, notes.
Find Koroit in the Great Ocean Road region between Port Fairy and Warrnambool. This little township holds its own, confident and always true to itself and the rolling green pastures fringing it. Character-filled Koroit is one of Australia`s most complete examples of an early Irish settlement.
About 85–90% of the population identifies as ethnically white (meaning of European ancestry), but this is actually a compilation of several ethnic categories. Around 25% identify as white Australian, while 26% identify as English, and the rest are a mixture of various European ethnicities ranging from Dutch to Greek.
Ladies in Black is a 2018 Australian comedy-drama film directed by Bruce Beresford.
Once you've been in Australia for, well, an hour, you'll notice that nearly every word has an 'o' on the end of it. This is because for some weird reason Australians like to shorten every word and then add a vowel to the end of it… e.g. “bottle-o” (Bottle shop / off license) “servo” (garage / service station).
Over 80% of people on the Australian registry are from North West European/North Caucasian backgrounds (ie “white” Australian), and the rest of the groups, such as Italians, Greeks, Asians, Middle Eastern and more are split across tiny percentages, with some having less than 1% representation.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the first peoples of Australia, meaning they were here for thousands of years prior to colonisation.
Key statistics
The proportion of Australia's population born outside Australia was 31.5%. England, India, China and New Zealand were the countries of birth with the largest populations.
Racism and discrimination
Around 60% of people believe that racism is a significant problem in Australia. In a 2020-21 Women of Colour Australia Workplace Survey Report, 26% of respondents said that their organisation was led by a person of colour and only 7% said that their organisation was led by a woman of colour.
According to Stephen Alomes, a professor of Australian studies at Deakin University, the chant represents "enthusiasm for the tribe" and a "celebration of 'us' ", but at the extreme may act as a symbol of aggressive nationalism and xenophobia.
Woop Woop is used to refer to a place in the middle of nowhere. People use it to signify that a location is far away, unfamiliar to them, and difficult to get to.
Common Australian slang for a girl includes "Sheila" (older, sometimes dated or slightly derogatory), "chick," or just using general terms like "mate," "gal," or "lass," with context and tone being important, but "girl" is still widely used; some slang, like "moll," can refer to a girlfriend or a promiscuous woman, while "bogan" describes an unsophisticated person.
Adelaide is often regarded as the cheapest place to live in Australia, with lower living costs compared to major cities. Regional areas are becoming more popular due to remote work opportunities, making them affordable choices.
A good salary in Australia is subjective but generally sits above the average (~$100k+), with many Australians now seeing $150,000+ as a "good" or comfortable wage due to high living costs, though this varies by location (Sydney higher) and generation, with Gen Z needing the most to feel comfortable. An average full-time wage is around $2,000+ weekly (over $100k annually), but significant differences exist by industry, experience, and location, with specialized roles reaching much higher.
Australia has high demand for workers in Healthcare (nurses, aged/disability carers, allied health), Tech (software engineers, cybersecurity, data analysts), Construction & Trades (managers, electricians, fitters, civil engineers), and Education (teachers, early childhood educators) due to an aging population, infrastructure projects, and digital transformation, with roles like Chefs, Project Managers, and Automotive Technicians also sought after across various industries.