People in Australia who were born in Sri Lanka

Demographics & education

In the 2016 Census, there were 109,853 people in Australia who were born in Sri Lanka. Of these 52.1% were male and 47.9% were female.

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

Of the population born in Sri Lanka who usually live in Australia, 7.0% were aged 0 - 14 years and 13.0% were aged 65 years and over. The median age of people in Australia who were born in Sri Lanka was 40 years.

Of people in Australia aged 15 years and over who were born in Sri Lanka, 71.2% were married, 1.9% were separated, and 3.7% were divorced.

Of the population born in Sri Lanka who usually live in Australia, 21.3% were attending an educational institution. There were 4.0% in primary school, 3.9% in secondary school and 10.4% in a tertiary or technical institution.

Of the population born in Sri Lanka who usually live in Australia, 18.3% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 7.7% had completed a Certificate III or IV and 14.8% had completed an Advanced Diploma or Diploma.

Cultural & language diversity

In Australia of people who were born in Sri Lanka, 25.5% arrived in Australia from 2011 - 2016 and 22.1% from 2006 - 2010.

In Australia of people who were born in Sri Lanka, 60.3% were Australian citizens.

In Australia of people who were born in Sri Lanka and had a spouse or partner, 90.3% had a spouse or partner who was born overseas and 7.5% 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)

In Australia of people who were born in Sri Lanka, the most common responses to the religion question were Buddhism 40.8%, Catholic 20.7%, Hinduism 18.8%, Anglican 4.2% and No Religion, so described 3.7%.

In Australia of people who were born in Sri Lanka, 23.1% spoke English only at home. A further 70.5% spoke another language but also spoke English very well or well.

Employment

In Australia of people who were born in Sri Lanka and who were in the labour force, 61.4% worked full-time, 26.0% worked part-time and 8.4% 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.

In Australia of people who were born in Sri Lanka and who were employed, 39.2% worked 40 hours or more per week and 27.9% worked 35-39 hours per week.

In Australia of people who were born in Sri Lanka, the most common responses for occupation were Professionals 31.4%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 14.6%, Labourers 12.4%, Managers 10.6% and Technicians and Trades Workers 9.5%.

In Australia of people who were born in Sri Lanka, the most common responses for industry of employment were Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) 5.1%, Building and Other Industrial Cleaning Services 3.6%, Computer System Design and Related Services 3.3%, Aged Care Residential Services 3.2% and Banking 3.1%.

In Australia of people who were born in Sri Lanka, the personal weekly median income was $757. Family median weekly income was $1,965 and Household median weekly income was $1,904.

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)

In Australia 64.4% of employed people who were born in Sri Lanka travelled to work on census day by car, while 16.2% travelled by bus or train.

In Australia 69.8% of people who were born in Sri Lanka did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, and 31.3% 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)

In Australia of people who were born in Sri Lanka and who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, 26.0% worked 5 to 14 hours, 12.3% worked 15 to 29 hours and 11.9% worked 30 hours or more.

Family composition

For information on how migrant families are classified, see the User guide for QuickStats

These statistics are for families in Australia. They are for families where the reference person and/or their spouse or partner was born in Sri Lanka. Of these families, 61.4% were couple families with children, 30.4% were couple families without children and 6.8% 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.

Employment status of couple families

These statistics are for families in Australia. They are for families where the reference person and/or their spouse or partner was born in Sri Lanka. Of these families, 25.4% of families had both parents working full-time, 21.0% of families had one parent working full-time and one parent working part-time, and 12.1% of families stated that both parents were not working.

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

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 Sri Lanka, 68.6% were a separate house, 15.2% were a flat or apartment, and 15.6% 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 Sri Lanka, 17.3% had two bedrooms, 35.1% had three bedrooms and 40.5% 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 Sri Lanka, 17.4% were owned outright, 46.0% were owned with a mortgage and 33.7% were rented. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,100 and the median weekly rent paid was $351.

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

All occupants of a private dwelling complete one census form and are counted as a household. 'Born in Sri Lanka' includes households in Australia where at least one person was born in Sri Lanka. Of those households, 80.0% were one family households and 11.1% were lone person households.