People in Australia who were born in Iraq

Demographics & education

In the 2011 Census, there were 48,169 people in Australia who were born in Iraq. Of these 51.6% were male and 48.4% were female.

Of the population born in Iraq who usually live in Australia, 8.1% were aged 0 - 14 years and 6.9% were aged 65 years and over. The median age of people in Australia who were born in Iraq was 37 years.

Of people in Australia aged 15 years and over who were born in Iraq, 60.3% were married, 4.4% were separated, and 4.1% were divorced.

Of people who usually live in Australia and who were born in Iraq the median age of married people was 42 years. Of people never married, the median age was 23 years.

Of the population born in Iraq who usually live in Australia, 31.3% were attending an educational institution. There were 3.5% in primary school, 6.9% in secondary school and 11.5% in a tertiary or technical institution.

Cultural & language diversity

In Australia of people who were born in Iraq, 31.8% arrived in Australia from 2006 - 2011 and 20.6% from 2001 - 2005.

In Australia of people who were born in Iraq, 68.6% were Australian citizens.

In Australia of people who were born in Iraq and had a spouse or partner, 95.8% had a spouse or partner who was born overseas and 3.2% had a spouse or partner born in Australia.

In Australia of people who were born in Iraq, the most common responses to the religion question were Catholic 35.7%, Islam 32.0%, Assyrian Apostolic 11.9%, Miscellaneous Religions 6.0% and Eastern Orthodox 3.5%.

In Australia of people who were born in Iraq, 3.0% spoke English only at home. A further 66.1% spoke another language but also spoke English very well or well.

Employment

In Australia of people who were born in Iraq and who were in the labour force, 46.6% worked full-time, 30.0% worked part-time and 16.2% were unemployed.

In Australia of people who were born in Iraq and who were employed, 34.6% worked 40 hours or more per week and 21.0% worked 35-39 hours per week.

In Australia of people who were born in Iraq the median age for those who were employed full-time was 39, while the median age for those employed part-time was 38.

In Australia of people who were born in Iraq, the most common responses for occupation were Technicians and Trades Workers 17.8%, Professionals 15.8%, Labourers 15.3%, Machinery Operators And Drivers 12.4% and Clerical and Administrative Workers 9.3%.

In Australia of people who were born in Iraq, the most common responses for industry of employment were Cafes, Restaurants and Takeaway Food Services 4.1%, Building Cleaning, Pest Control and Gardening Services 4.0%, Supermarket and Grocery Stores 3.5%, Building Completion Services 3.2% and Road Freight Transport 2.9%.

In Australia of people who were born in Iraq, the personal weekly median income was $288. Family median weekly income was $821 and Household median weekly income was $843.

Family and Household are determined for the selected country of birth, 'All overseas born' and 'Australian born' by the Reference Person and/or their spouse/partner's response to country of birth. See explanatory notes for more information.

In Australia 73.9% of employed people who were born in Iraq, travelled to work on census day by car, while 7.4% travelled by bus or train.

In Australia 39.0% of people who were born in Iraq did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, and 28.6% cared for a child or children in the two weeks before the census.

In Australia of people who were born in Iraq and who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, 12.2% worked 5 to 14 hours, 5.8% worked 15 to 29 hours and 8.1% worked 30 hours or more.

Family composition

For important information on how migrant families are classified, please see the explanatory notes

These statistics are for families in Australia. They are for families where the reference person was born in Iraq and also include households where the reference person was born in Australia, or did not state their country of birth, but had a partner or spouse who was born in Iraq. Of these families, 68.2% were couple families with children, 14.7% were couple families without children and 15.5% were one parent families.

Weekly incomes

These statistics are for families in Australia. They are for families where the reference person was born in Iraq and also include households where the reference person was born in Australia, or did not state their country of birth, but had a partner or spouse who was born in Iraq. Of these families, the median weekly income for families without children was $1,797 and for families with children the median weekly income was $2,042.

Employment status of couple families

These statistics are for families in Australia. They are for families where the reference person was born in Iraq and also include households where the reference person was born in Australia, or did not state their country of birth, but had a partner or spouse who was born in Iraq. Of these families, 6.3% of families had both parents working full-time, 6.2% of families had one parent working full-time and one parent working part-time, and 49.6% of families stated that both parents were not working.

Dwelling structure

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households

For important information on how migrant households are classified, please see the explanatory notes

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 Iraq, 63.1% were a separate house, 20.1% were a flat, unit or apartment, and 16.4% were a semi-detached, row or terrace house, townhouse etc.

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 Iraq, 20.9% had two bedrooms, 43.3% had three bedrooms and 28.3% had four or more bedrooms.

Mortgage & rent

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 Iraq, 9.3% were owned outright, 31.3% were owned with a mortgage and 55.9% were rented. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,950 and the median weekly rent paid was $301.

Household composition

All occupants of a private dwelling complete one census form and are counted as a household. 'People born in Iraq' includes households in Australia where at least one person was born in Iraq. Of those households, 82.6% were one family households and 9.3% were lone person households.