4517.0 - Prisoners in Australia, 2018 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 06/12/2018   
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COUNTRY OF BIRTH

At 30 June 2018:
  • Australian born prisoners accounted for four in every five prisoners (81% or 34,973 prisoners).
  • Overseas born persons accounted for 17% of all prisoners and just over one-third (35%) of the Australian population aged 18 years and over. (Table 22 and unpublished data from ABS cat. no. 3101.0 Australian Demographic Statistics)
  • The most common countries of birth for overseas born prisoners were New Zealand (3% of total prisoners), Vietnam (2%), and the United Kingdom (2%). (Table 7 & 22)
  • Victoria had the highest proportion of overseas born prisoners (25% or 1,930 prisoners). Of these, the most common country of birth was Vietnam (18% of overseas born prisoners or 340 prisoners).

Graph Image for PRISONERS, Selected country of birth, 30 June 2008 to 30 June 2018

Footnote(s): (a) Includes Channel Islands and Isle of Man; (b) Excludes SARs and Taiwan province; (c)Includes Sudan and South Sudan.

Source(s): Prisoners in Australia



In relation to the three most common offences as at 30 June 2018:
  • Acts intended to cause injury was the most common offence for prisoners born in New Zealand (21% of New Zealand born prisoners) and Sudan (35% of Sudanese born prisoners).
  • Illicit drug offences were the most common offence for prisoners born in Hong Kong (80%), Vietnam (74%), Malaysia (65%) and China (57%).
  • Sexual assault and related offences were the most common offence for prisoners born in the United Kingdom, representing 28% of all prisoners born in the United Kingdom. (Table 7)