Christmas Island

Demographics & education

People tables are based on a person's place of usual residence on Census night

In the 2016 Census, there were 1,843 people in Christmas Island. Of these 61.3% were male and 38.7% were female. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 0.5% of the population.

The median age of people in Christmas Island was 38 years. Children aged 0 - 14 years made up 17.0% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 9.7% of the population.

Of people in Christmas Island aged 15 years and over, 53.3% were married and 9.2% were either divorced or separated.

In Christmas Island, of people aged 15 years and over, 57.4% of people were in a registered marriage and 7.8% were in a de facto marriage.

In Christmas Island 44.4% of people were attending an educational institution. Of these, 16.1% were in primary school, 11.8% in secondary school and 3.8% in a tertiary or technical institution.

Of people aged 15 and over in Christmas Island, 11.1% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 14.7% had completed a Certificate III or IV and 5.9% had completed an Advanced Diploma or Diploma.

Cultural & language diversity

The most common ancestries in Christmas Island were Chinese 21.2%, Australian 12.7%, Malay 12.0%, English 10.9% and Irish 2.3%.

Respondents had the option of reporting up to two ancestries on their Census form, and this is captured by the Ancestry Multi Response (ANCP) variable used in this table. Therefore, the total responses count will not equal the persons count for this area. Calculated percentages represent a proportion of all responses from people in Christmas Island (including those who did not state an ancestry).

In Christmas Island, 38.5% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were Malaysia 20.1%, New Zealand 3.0%, England 2.5%, Singapore 2.4% and Iran 1.7%.

In Christmas Island, 16.7% of people had both parents born in Australia and 43.2% of people had both parents born overseas.

In Christmas Island, the most common countries of birth for male parents were Malaysia 24.5%, Australia 24.2%, China (excludes SARs and Taiwan) 5.1%, England 3.3% and Singapore 3.1%.

In Christmas Island, the most common countries of birth for female parents were Malaysia 27.3%, Australia 22.2%, China (excludes SARs and Taiwan) 4.1%, Singapore 3.2% and England 2.9%.

The most common responses for religion in Christmas Island were Not stated 27.9%, Islam 19.4%, Buddhism 18.1%, No Religion, so described 15.2% and Catholic 8.9%. In Christmas Island, Islam was the largest religious group reported overall (26.7%) (this figure excludes not stated responses).

In Christmas Island 27.8% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 17.2%, Malay 17.2%, Cantonese 3.7%, Min Nan 1.5% and Tagalog 1.0%.

Employment

There were 837 people who reported being in the labour force in the week before Census night in Christmas Island. Of these 70.1% were employed full time, 19.2% were employed part-time and 1.9% 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.

Of employed people in Christmas Island, 7.4% worked 1 to 15 hours, 5.9% worked 16 to 24 hours and 43.3% worked 40 hours or more.

The most common occupations in Christmas Island included Technicians and Trades Workers 17.7%, Labourers 16.1%, Community and Personal Service Workers 14.7%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 12.6%, Machinery Operators and Drivers 12.3%, Managers 12.2%, Professionals 10.4% and Sales Workers 1.6%.

Of the employed people in Christmas Island, the most common responses for industry of employment included Other Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying 18.0%, Correctional and Detention Services 13.5%, Combined Primary and Secondary Education 5.8%, Local Government Administration 5.5% and Central Government Administration 3.1%.

The median weekly personal income for people aged 15 years and over in Christmas Island was $1,164.

View the data quality statements for: Total personal income (INCP) Total family income (FINF) Total household income (HIND)

In Christmas Island, on the day of the Census, the most common methods of travel to work for employed people included Car, as driver 67.6%, Car, as passenger 8.5%, Bus 6.4%, Walked only 3.8% and Worked at home 1.1%. On the day, 6.8% of employed people used public transport (train, bus, ferry, tram/light rail) as at least one of their methods of travel to work and 76.0% used car (either as driver or as passenger).

In Christmas Island, of people aged 15 years and over, 47.0% did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census. During the two weeks before the Census, 18.2% provided care for children and 6.0% assisted family members or others due to a disability, long term illness or problems related to old age. In the year before the Census, 20.3% of people did voluntary work through an organisation or a group.

View the data quality statements for: Unpaid domestic work (DOMP) Unpaid child care (CHCAREP) Unpaid assistance (UNCAREP) Voluntary work (VOLWP)

Of people who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census in Christmas Island, 19.5% worked 5 to 14 hours, 6.1% worked 15 to 29 hours and 5.6% worked 30 hours or more.

Family composition

Of the families in Christmas Island, 52.1% were couple families with children, 35.1% were couple families without children and 11.5% were one parent families.

In Christmas Island, 35.0% of single parents were male and 65.0% were female.

Employment status of couple families

In Christmas Island, of couple families with children, 25.1% had both partners employed full-time, 3.8% had both employed part-time and 23.6% had one employed full-time and the other part-time.

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.

Dwelling structure

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households

In Christmas Island, 82.3% of private dwellings were occupied and 17.7% were unoccupied.

View the data quality statements for: Dwelling type (DWTD) Dwelling Structure (STRD)

Of occupied private dwellings in Christmas Island, 49.9% were separate houses, 20.0% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses etc, 26.8% were flats or apartments and 0.8% were other dwellings.

In Christmas Island, of occupied private dwellings 7.9% had 1 bedroom, 28.8% had 2 bedrooms and 51.1% had 3 bedrooms. The average number of bedrooms per occupied private dwelling was 2.6. The average household size was 2.7 people.

View the data quality statements for: Number of bedrooms in a private dwelling (BEDD) Number of persons usually resident in dwelling (NPRD)

Of occupied private dwellings in Christmas Island, 28.5% were owned outright, 14.6% were owned with a mortgage and 51.6% were rented.

Household composition

In Christmas Island, of all households, 74.1% were family households, 23.4% were single person households and 2.5% were group households.

In Christmas Island, 7.0% of households had a weekly household income of less than $650 and 24.9% of households had a weekly income of more than $3000.

Mortgage & rent

Proportions are calculated using all tenure types for occupied private dwellings. This excludes visitor only and other non-classifiable households.

The number of households where rent payments were 30% or more of an imputed income measure are expressed in this table as a proportion of the total number of households in an area (including those households which were not renting, and excluding the small proportion of visitor only and other non-classifiable households). The nature of the income imputation means that the reported proportion may significantly overstate the true proportion.

The number of households where mortgage repayments were 30% or more of an imputed income measure are expressed in this table as a proportion of the total number of households in an area (including those households which were renting, and excluding the small proportion of visitor only and other non-classifiable households). The nature of the income imputation means that the reported proportion may significantly overstate the true proportion.

Number of motor vehicles

In Christmas Island, 35.8% of occupied private dwellings had one registered motor vehicle garaged or parked at their address, 36.0% had two registered motor vehicles and 17.5% had three or more registered motor vehicles.

Internet connection

In Christmas Island, 78.6% of households had at least one person access the internet from the dwelling. This could have been through a desktop/laptop computer, mobile or smart phone, tablet, music or video player, gaming console, smart TV or any other device.

People characteristics

In Christmas Island, 30.0% of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people were male and 70.0% were female. The median age was 36 years.

View the data quality statements for: Place of Usual Residence (PURP) Indigenous status (INGP)

Dwelling characteristics

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households. These tables represent occupied private dwellings where at least one Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait islander person was present.

In Christmas Island, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the average household size was 0 persons, with 0 persons per bedroom. The median household income was $0.

View the data quality statements for: Number of Bedrooms in Private Dwelling (BEDD) Household composition (HHCD) Indigenous household Indicator (INGDWTD)

In Christmas Island, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the median weekly rent was $0 and the median monthly mortgage repayment was $0.

View the data quality statements for: Rent weekly payments (RNTD) Mortgage monthly repayments (MRED) Indigenous household Indicator (INGDWTD)