People in Australia who were born in Bangladesh

2016 Census Country of birth QuickStats
Area code 0 by 7101
People 41,233
Male 22,850
Female 18,383
Australian citizen 57.6%
Not an Australian citizen 40.8%
Families 15,829
Couples with children 11,063
Couples without children 3,982
One parent families 601
Other families 178
All private dwellings 18,207
Median monthly mortgage repayment $2,100
Median weekly rent paid $360

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People

demographics & education | cultural & language diversity | employment

Demographics & education

People Born in Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Male 22,850 55.4 2,997,173 48.6 7,735,362 49.5 11,546,638 49.3
Female 18,383 44.6 3,166,493 51.4 7,880,175 50.5 11,855,248 50.7

In the 2016 Census, there were 41,233 people in Australia who were born in Bangladesh. Of these 55.4% were male and 44.6% were female.

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

Age
People
Born in Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
0-14 years 3,236 7.8 366,872 6.0 3,777,875 24.2 4,364,607 18.7
15-24 years 4,162 10.1 612,643 9.9 2,197,847 14.1 2,988,390 12.8
25-34 years 14,902 36.1 1,130,884 18.3 1,994,601 12.8 3,368,449 14.4
35-44 years 11,786 28.6 1,021,528 16.6 1,911,355 12.2 3,144,935 13.4
45-54 years 4,264 10.3 961,980 15.6 1,920,340 12.3 3,105,007 13.3
55-64 years 2,222 5.4 840,595 13.6 1,704,198 10.9 2,753,734 11.8
65 years and over 664 1.6 1,229,161 19.9 2,109,310 13.5 3,676,765 15.7
Median age 34 -- 44 -- 34 -- 38 --

Of the population born in Bangladesh who usually live in Australia, 7.8% were aged 0 - 14 years and 1.6% were aged 65 years and over. The median age of people in Australia who were born in Bangladesh was 34 years.

View the data quality statement for Age (AGEP)
Registered marital status
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Married 30,072 79.1 3,362,174 58.0 5,158,710 43.6 9,148,218 48.1
Separated 400 1.1 178,867 3.1 376,863 3.2 608,059 3.2
Divorced 678 1.8 464,766 8.0 1,021,844 8.6 1,626,890 8.5
Widowed 363 1.0 326,987 5.6 560,940 4.7 985,204 5.2
Never married 6,490 17.1 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 Bangladesh, 79.1% were married, 1.1% were separated, and 1.8% were divorced.

View the data quality statement for Registered marital status (MSTP)
Education Born in Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Pre-school 176 0.4 21,982 0.4 323,754 2.1 347,621 1.5
Primary 1,810 4.4 197,196 3.2 1,717,830 11.0 1,926,880 8.2
Secondary 1,320 3.2 224,770 3.6 1,211,676 7.8 1,446,506 6.2
University or tertiary institution 6,108 14.8 440,789 7.2 713,008 4.6 1,160,630 5.0
Technical or further education 1,570 3.8 152,909 2.5 267,689 1.7 424,870 1.8
Other 823 2.0 97,890 1.6 98,429 0.6 198,383 0.8
Institution attended, type not stated 633 1.5 117,292 1.9 329,449 2.1 1,707,023 7.3
Not attending an educational institution 28,796 69.8 4,910,840 79.7 10,953,685 70.1 16,189,980 69.2

Of the population born in Bangladesh who usually live in Australia, 30.2% were attending an educational institution. There were 4.4% in primary school, 3.2% in secondary school and 18.6% 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 Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Bachelor Degree level and above 24,150 63.6 1,830,410 31.6 2,320,141 19.6 4,181,406 22.0
Advanced Diploma and Diploma level 2,947 7.8 587,176 10.1 1,079,954 9.1 1,687,893 8.9
Certificate level IV 294 0.8 120,064 2.1 425,836 3.6 551,767 2.9
Certificate level III 1,037 2.7 565,803 9.8 1,831,323 15.5 2,442,203 12.8
Year 12 5,993 15.8 1,051,623 18.1 1,902,337 16.1 2,994,097 15.7
Year 11 389 1.0 200,856 3.5 724,761 6.1 941,531 4.9
Year 10 814 2.1 418,929 7.2 1,588,715 13.4 2,054,331 10.8
Certificate level II 0 0.0 3,313 0.1 9,848 0.1 13,454 0.1
Certificate level I 0 0.0 863 0.0 1,266 0.0 2,176 0.0
Year 9 or below 691 1.8 458,176 7.9 1,027,299 8.7 1,529,897 8.0
No educational attainment 109 0.3 114,870 2.0 26,748 0.2 145,844 0.8
Not stated 751 2.0 264,618 4.6 570,419 4.8 1,974,794 10.4

Of the population born in Bangladesh who usually live in Australia, 15.8% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 3.5% had completed a Certificate III or IV and 7.8% 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 Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh 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 10 0.0 321,721 5.2 -- -- -- --
1961 - 1970 59 0.1 590,106 9.6 -- -- -- --
1971 - 1980 445 1.1 541,319 8.8 -- -- -- --
1981 - 1990 1,336 3.2 768,312 12.5 -- -- -- --
1991 - 2000 5,707 13.8 766,940 12.4 -- -- -- --
2001 - 2005 7,722 18.7 559,084 9.1 -- -- -- --
2006 - 2010 11,243 27.3 985,332 16.0 -- -- -- --
2011 - 2016 13,929 33.8 1,324,426 21.5 -- -- -- --
Born in Australia -- -- -- -- 15,615,531 -- -- --

In Australia of people who were born in Bangladesh, 33.8% arrived in Australia from 2011 - 2016 and 27.3% from 2006 - 2010.

View the data quality statement for Year of arrival in Australia (YARP)
Citizenship Born in Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Australian citizen 23,746 57.6 3,652,290 59.3 15,304,785 98.0 19,278,834 82.4
Not an Australian citizen 16,812 40.8 2,402,591 39.0 86,884 0.6 2,507,458 10.7

In Australia of people who were born in Bangladesh, 57.6% were Australian citizens.

View the data quality statement for Australian citizenship (CITP)
Birthplace of spouse or partner Born in Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Spouse or partner born overseas 26,888 96.6 2,533,692 72.3 874,386 14.5 3,432,017 35.9
Spouse or partner born in Australia 494 1.8 874,386 25.0 4,975,104 82.7 5,872,893 61.4

In Australia of people who were born in Bangladesh and had a spouse or partner, 96.6% had a spouse or partner who was born overseas and 1.8% 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 Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Islam 33,502 81.3 372,165 6.0 219,936 1.4 604,240 2.6
Hinduism 2,824 6.9 356,958 5.8 80,193 0.5 440,300 1.9
No Religion, so described 1,310 3.2 1,647,084 26.7 5,197,438 33.3 6,933,708 29.6
Catholic 673 1.6 1,306,565 21.2 3,895,007 24.9 5,291,834 22.6
Buddhism 394 1.0 400,332 6.5 156,171 1.0 563,674 2.4

In Australia of people who were born in Bangladesh, the most common responses to the religion question were Islam 81.3%, Hinduism 6.9%, No Religion, so described 3.2%, Catholic 1.6% and Buddhism 1.0%.

View the data quality statement for Religious affiliation (RELP)
English language proficiency Born in Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Speaks English only 2,364 5.7 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 35,970 87.2 2,885,219 46.8 1,122,966 7.2 4,068,598 17.4
Not well or not at all 2,571 6.2 648,470 10.5 157,704 1.0 819,925 3.5

In Australia of people who were born in Bangladesh, 5.7% spoke English only at home. A further 87.2% 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 Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Worked full-time 15,457 55.2 2,052,828 58.4 4,491,739 57.5 6,623,065 57.7
Worked part-time 8,286 29.6 1,025,198 29.2 2,421,402 31.0 3,491,503 30.4
Away from work 1,195 4.3 158,027 4.5 397,088 5.1 569,276 5.0
Unemployed 3,041 10.9 277,586 7.9 498,013 6.4 787,452 6.9
Not in the labour force 9,774 25.7 2,221,922 38.3 3,913,066 33.1 6,297,600 33.1

In Australia of people who were born in Bangladesh and who were in the labour force, 55.2% worked full-time, 29.6% worked part-time and 10.9% 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 Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
1-15 hours per week 2,244 9.0 313,561 9.7 890,779 12.2 1,218,823 11.4
16-24 hours per week 3,275 13.1 358,890 11.1 706,291 9.7 1,079,236 10.1
25-34 hours per week 2,771 11.1 352,748 10.9 824,331 11.3 1,193,445 11.2
35-39 hours per week 7,209 28.9 705,848 21.8 1,300,092 17.8 2,031,263 19.0
40 hours or more per week 8,243 33.1 1,346,985 41.6 3,191,643 43.7 4,591,801 43.0

In Australia of people who were born in Bangladesh and who were employed, 33.1% worked 40 hours or more per week and 28.9% 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 Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Professionals 6,851 27.5 815,695 25.2 1,536,662 21.0 2,370,966 22.2
Community and Personal Service Workers 3,114 12.5 351,854 10.9 789,597 10.8 1,157,003 10.8
Sales Workers 2,928 11.7 242,224 7.5 746,730 10.2 1,000,955 9.4
Labourers 2,685 10.8 354,542 11.0 638,102 8.7 1,011,520 9.5
Clerical and Administrative Workers 2,577 10.3 393,619 12.2 1,040,953 14.2 1,449,681 13.6

In Australia of people who were born in Bangladesh, the most common responses for occupation were Professionals 27.5%, Community and Personal Service Workers 12.5%, Sales Workers 11.7%, Labourers 10.8% and Clerical and Administrative Workers 10.3%.

View the data quality statement for Occupation (OCCP)
Industry of employment, top responses
Employed people aged 15 years and over
Born in Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Supermarket and Grocery Stores 1,555 6.2 63,537 2.0 187,929 2.6 254,275 2.4
Child Care Services 1,194 4.8 42,996 1.3 73,892 1.0 118,234 1.1
Cafes and Restaurants 1,172 4.7 121,097 3.7 130,007 1.8 253,385 2.4
Higher Education 1,051 4.2 61,774 1.9 93,269 1.3 155,985 1.5
Taxi and Other Road Transport 1,050 4.2 20,253 0.6 9,447 0.1 30,143 0.3

In Australia of people who were born in Bangladesh, the most common responses for industry of employment were Supermarket and Grocery Stores 6.2%, Child Care Services 4.8%, Cafes and Restaurants 4.7%, Higher Education 4.2% and Taxi and Other Road Transport 4.2%.

View the data quality statement for Industry of employment (INDP)
Median weekly income
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Personal 602 -- 615 -- 688 -- 662 --
Family 1,414 -- 1,725 -- 1,834 -- 1,734 --
Household 1,482 -- 1,562 -- 1,539 -- 1,438 --

In Australia of people who were born in Bangladesh, the personal weekly median income was $602. Family median weekly income was $1,414 and Household median weekly income was $1,482.

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 Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Car 12,811 51.4 1,986,872 61.4 5,009,484 68.5 7,090,101 66.4
Bus or train 6,681 26.8 453,292 14.0 454,116 6.2 915,328 8.6
Other 2,739 11.0 381,664 11.8 672,865 9.2 1,066,965 10.0

In Australia 51.4% of employed people who were born in Bangladesh travelled to work on census day by car, while 26.8% 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 Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Did unpaid domestic work (last week) 28,578 75.2 3,964,948 68.4 9,000,198 76.0 13,143,914 69.0
Cared for child/children (last two weeks) 17,200 45.3 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) 5,027 13.2 613,990 10.6 1,489,817 12.6 2,145,203 11.3
Did voluntary work through an organisation or group (last 12 months) 5,339 14.1 941,091 16.2 2,634,097 22.3 3,620,726 19.0

In Australia 75.2% of people who were born in Bangladesh did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, and 45.3% 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 Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Less than 5 hours per week 7,891 20.8 1,234,900 21.3 3,013,177 25.5 4,298,593 22.6
5 to 14 hours per week 10,642 28.0 1,509,217 26.0 3,371,602 28.5 4,944,578 26.0
15 to 29 hours per week 4,894 12.9 678,501 11.7 1,479,061 12.5 2,189,776 11.5
30 hours or more per week 5,150 13.6 542,335 9.4 1,136,359 9.6 1,710,970 9.0

In Australia of people who were born in Bangladesh and who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, 28.0% worked 5 to 14 hours, 12.9% worked 15 to 29 hours and 13.6% 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 Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Couple family without children 3,982 25.2 1,012,440 39.3 1,240,422 36.6 2,291,987 37.8
Couple family with children 11,063 69.9 1,248,241 48.4 1,434,939 42.3 2,716,224 44.7
One parent family 601 3.8 282,463 11.0 648,590 19.1 959,543 15.8
Other family 178 1.1 34,059 1.3 65,896 1.9 102,559 1.7
Families with a child under 5 5,977 37.8 446,733 17.3 591,182 17.4 1,037,904 17.1
Families with a child aged 0-15 years 10,071 63.6 977,697 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 Bangladesh. Of these families, 69.9% were couple families with children, 25.2% were couple families without children and 3.8% 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 Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Both employed, worked full-time 2,516 16.7 475,278 21.0 600,260 22.4 1,084,006 21.6
Both employed, worked part-time 688 4.6 97,948 4.3 103,266 3.9 203,596 4.1
One employed full-time, one part-time 2,799 18.6 424,478 18.8 652,771 24.4 1,086,460 21.7
One employed full-time, other not working 4,787 31.8 390,307 17.3 352,203 13.2 749,886 15.0
One employed part-time, other not working 1,580 10.5 156,274 6.9 141,852 5.3 302,037 6.0
Both not working 1,267 8.4 492,423 21.8 488,403 18.3 1,006,697 20.1
Other (includes away from work) 806 5.4 107,664 4.8 152,346 5.7 264,145 5.3
Labour force status not stated (by one or both parents in a couple family) 598 4.0 116,299 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 Bangladesh. Of these families, 16.7% of families had both parents working full-time, 18.6% of families had one parent working full-time and one parent working part-time, and 8.4% 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 Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Separate house 7,711 42.4 2,212,954 67.1 5,074,866 76.9 6,041,788 72.9
Semi-detached, row or terrace house, townhouse etc 2,719 14.9 466,800 14.1 779,497 11.8 1,055,016 12.7
Flat or apartment 7,554 41.5 585,471 17.7 668,862 10.1 1,087,434 13.1
Other dwelling 115 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 Bangladesh, 42.4% were a separate house, 41.5% were a flat or apartment, and 14.9% 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 Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
None (includes bedsitters) 81 0.4 17,187 0.5 23,956 0.4 39,769 0.5
1 bedroom 1,304 7.2 176,922 5.4 254,884 3.9 411,252 5.0
2 bedrooms 6,858 37.7 658,470 20.0 1,119,772 17.0 1,562,759 18.9
3 bedrooms 4,995 27.4 1,264,755 38.3 2,787,246 42.2 3,403,190 41.1
4 or more bedrooms 4,526 24.9 1,110,865 33.7 2,287,725 34.7 2,670,758 32.2
Number of bedrooms not stated 447 2.5 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 Bangladesh, 37.7% had two bedrooms, 27.4% had three bedrooms and 24.9% 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 Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Owned outright 1,012 5.6 970,425 29.4 2,013,505 30.5 2,565,695 31.0
Owned with a mortgage 6,348 34.9 1,122,252 34.0 2,474,999 37.5 2,855,222 34.5
Rented 10,351 56.8 1,099,840 33.3 1,907,007 28.9 2,561,302 30.9
Other tenure type 44 0.2 25,380 0.8 59,681 0.9 78,994 1.0
Tenure type not stated 455 2.5 81,928 2.5 144,494 2.2 224,869 2.7
Median monthly mortgage repayment 2,100 -- 1,950 -- 1,742 -- 1,755 --
Median weekly rent paid 360 -- 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 Bangladesh, 5.6% were owned outright, 34.9% were owned with a mortgage and 56.8% were rented. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,100 and the median weekly rent paid was $360.

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 Bangladesh % Born in Bangladesh All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
One family households 15,117 83.0 2,465,248 74.7 4,809,352 72.9 5,751,635 69.4
Multiple family households 604 3.3 101,470 3.1 137,593 2.1 155,992 1.9
Single (or lone) person households 1,016 5.6 559,665 17.0 1,403,935 21.3 2,023,542 24.4
Group households 1,471 8.1 173,452 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 Bangladesh' includes households in Australia where at least one person was born in Bangladesh. Of those households, 83.0% were one family households and 5.6% 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.