Language Statistics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, 2021

The first release of this publication in April 2022 was externally peer-reviewed. The ABS greatly values the knowledge, expertise and contributions of these reviewers and thanks them for their time and input.

Information sources and comparability

Language information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is available in a few ABS collections. See the Information Sources table below for further information.

The information in this publication was sourced from the Census and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS). When reading this publication, keep in mind that data from the Census cannot be compared to data from the NATSISS due to different collection methods.

This release incorporates results from the 2021 Census, with previous Census data available in the data downloads. The 2021 Census product release guide outlines when second and third release results, including Remoteness, will be released.

Information sources

Table 1 summarises key information about the use, design and scope of ABS sources that collect data on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.

Table 1. ABS sources that collect data on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages
	Census of Population and Housing (Census)	National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS)	National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS)
Applicable population – language questions	All persons	The applicable population has changed over time – see (a)	Persons aged 3 years and over
Best For	Analysis at small disaggregations such as low-level geography or age groups on key topics.	Analysis at national, state/territory and remoteness geographies. Cross-classifying socioeconomic, cultural, health and wellbeing information.	Analysis at national, state/territory and remoteness geographies. Cross-classifying socioeconomic, cultural, health and wellbeing information.
Geography	Available at all levels of the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS)	Data quality better at higher levels of geography such as State and Territory and Remoteness	Data quality better at higher levels of geography such as State and Territory and Remoteness
Frequency	Collected every 5 years. Most recent available data is 2021.	2004-05, 2012-13[b], 2018-19.	1994, 2002, 2008, 2014-15.
Comparability	Not comparable with other collections.	Language data is comparable with the NATSISS only.	Language data is comparable with the NATSIHS only.
More information – data and analysis	Find Census data Census of Population and Housing: Census dictionary	National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey	National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, 2014-15

In the 2018-19 NATSIHS, main language spoken at home was collected for all people. In the 2012-13 NATSIHS, main language spoken at home was collected for people aged 2 years and over. In the 2004-05 NATSIHS, main language spoken at home was collected for people aged 18 years and over only.
The 2012-13 NATSIHS was collected and published under the broader Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (AATSIHS).

Table 2 provides an overview of the language topics available in the Census, NATSIHS and NATSISS.

Table 2. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language topics available in ABS sources
	Census of Population and Housing (Census)	National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS)	National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS)
Applicable population – language questions	All persons	The applicable population has changed over time – see (a)	Persons aged 3 years and over
Main language spoken at home	N	Y(b)	Y(b)
Main language spoken at home – ASCL code	N	Y	N
Language used at home	Y(c)	N	N
Language spoken at home – ASCL code	Y	N	N
Proficiency in spoken English	Y	Y(d)	Y
Whether speaks an Australian Indigenous language	N	N	Y
Whether reported using an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander language at home	Y(e)	N	N
Whether understands an Australian Indigenous language	N	N	Y(f)
Whether currently learning an Australian Indigenous language	N	N	Y(f)
Who is teaching or where learning Indigenous language	N	N	Y(f)
Whether has difficulty communicating with English speakers	N	N	Y(g)

In the 2018-19 NATSIHS, main language spoken at home was collected for all people. In the 2012-13 NATSIHS, main language spoken at home was collected for people aged 2 years and over. In the 2004-05 NATSIHS, main language spoken at home was collected for people aged 18 years and over only.
Includes ‘English’, ‘Aboriginal language’, ‘Torres Strait Islander language’, ‘Other’, and ‘Not currently speaking’ only.
In the 2021 Census, the question wording was amended to include the word 'use' rather than 'speak' to better accommodate members of the community who use sign language. See Language used at home (LANP).
Only collected for people aged 2 years and over.
Only available in the 2021 Census.
Only collected for people aged 3 years and over.
Only collected for people aged 15 years and over.

Population change over time

Using ABS Language Data

When using ABS language data, it is important to consider the impacts of how the data is collected and processed. These are outlined below.

Language used at home

The 2021 Census collected information about language spoken at home through the question ‘Does the person use a language other than English at home?' and allows for one answer only from a set list of options. Respondents may either use a mark box to indicate the language used at home or write the name of the language in the text field. See Language used at home (LANP).

An enhancement to the online form in the 2021 Census presented a check box for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander language for those respondents who identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander in the Indigenous status question. To improve the data collected on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, the person also had the option of specifying the language.

The NATSISS and the NATSIHS collect information about language spoken at home through the question ‘Which language do you/does [first name]/will [first name of child under two years] mainly speak at home?’ and allow for one answer only from a set list of options.

In the NATSISS, the set list of options comprises Aboriginal language, Torres Strait Islander language, English, and Other language. In the NATSIHS, respondents can specify which Aboriginal language, Torres Strait Islander language, or other language they speak at home.

The way that language used at home information is collected means that:

ABS data does not fully capture multilingualism, which is common in many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The NATSISS asks limited questions on whether people who speak English at home can speak or understand an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language. These questions do not however provide detail on the number, name or proficiency of additional languages spoken.
ABS data may not capture heritage languages that are also spoken or being actively learnt though language revitalisation projects.
ABS data requires respondents to name and spell the language they speak at home. Some respondents may not have a name for the language they use or there may be variations in spelling. This can impact how responses are coded to the Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL).

It is recommended to use the Census, not Survey data to analyse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages represented in the ASCL.

Whether learning an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language

Available Geographies

The Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL)

Language data collected by the ABS is coded to the Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL). The ASCL was introduced in 1997. It includes languages which are universally recognised as distinct and separate languages, dialects, creoles, pidgins, groups of linguistically distinct languages and sign languages.

When using the ASCL to analyse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language data, it is important to consider:

To be included as a separate category in the ASCL, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages must record at least three speakers in the previous Census. This means the classification does not include all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. Further information about the minimum number of speakers threshold is available in ASCL building the classification. The ASCL is dependent on respondents providing enough information to match the language they speak to the ASCL. The ASCL coding index provides a comprehensive list of the most likely responses to questions relating to language and their correct classification codes. If a respondent provides partial information or a response that is not precise enough to be coded to a language category, it is assigned to a residual code such as ‘not further defined’ or ‘not elsewhere classified’. This is particularly significant for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages where there can be a variety of spellings and synonyms for a language.
New languages such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Creoles are not well-represented in the ASCL. For example, a respondent may not have a name for the language they speak or the language they speak is a new contact language (a new language that emerges when speakers of two different languages communicate). Responses which cannot be identified as relating to a separately identified language in the ASCL are assigned a residual category code or a supplementary code such as ‘8000 Australian Indigenous Languages nfd’ (see ASCL coding rules for further information).
The ABS does not publish detail about responses that comprise the ‘not further defined’ or ‘not elsewhere classified’ categories of the ASCL.

How the ABS is improving the collection of language data

Closing the Gap and Other National Government reporting

ABS survey, Census and administrative information are major data sources for a number of government reports that measure outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. These include the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, the Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage report, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework. Language data collected by the ABS is used in these reports.

An overview of ABS collections used in Closing the Gap and other National Government Reporting is available in Closing the Gap and Other National Government Reporting.

Language speakers

The information in this section is available to download in ‘Language Speakers’ from ‘Data downloads’.

The Census asks, 'Does the person use a language other than English at home?'. Respondents can use a mark box to indicate the language they use at home or write the name of the language they use in a free text field. Responses to this question are coded to the Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL).

Throughout this analysis, ‘Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language’ is used when referring to traditional languages, new contact languages, Aboriginal English and supplementary codes that are classified as ’Australian Indigenous Languages’ in the ASCL (codes 8000-8999).

The following abbreviated definitions are sourced from the National Indigenous Languages Report[¹]. More detail can be found in the report.

‘Traditional languages’ refers to languages ‘…spoken by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people prior to colonisation, and the directly descended language varieties spoken today.[¹]

‘New contact languages’ refers to languages that ‘…have formed since 1788 from language contact between speakers of traditional languages with speakers of English and/ or other languages.[¹]

‘Aboriginal English’ is part of the ASCL classification of Australian Indigenous languages. It refers to ‘…Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of speaking English which differ somewhat from Standard Australian English, but which Standard Australian English speakers can more or less understand.[¹]

In 2021, 76,978 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people reported speaking an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language at home, up from 63,754 people in 2016.

This includes:

52,139 people who spoke traditional languages
15,026 people who spoke new contact languages (Kriol, Yumplatok, Gurindji Kriol and Light Warlpiri)
1,371 people who spoke of Aboriginal English
8,440 people coded to 'not further defined' supplementary codes that are classified as ’Australian Indigenous Languages’ in the ASCL.

The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language at home has declined over time from 16.4% in 1991 to 9.5% in 2021. During the same period, the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who spoke English at home increased (78.9% to 84.1%).

Graph 1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons who spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language at home, 1991-2021
	Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language (%)
1991	16.4
1996	13.3
2001	12.1
2006	11.4
2011	11.0
2016	9.8
2021	9.5

Graph 1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons who spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language at home, 1991-2021

["","Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language"]

[["1991","1996","2001","2006","2011","2016","2021"],[[16.399999999999999],[13.300000000000001],[12.1],[11.4],[11],[9.8000000000000007],[9.5]]]

[]

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Please note that there are small random adjustments 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 table totals.

Data is based on place of usual residence.

Source: Census of Population and Housing, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021.

Data available in table 1.1 in ‘Language speakers’ from ‘Data downloads’.

There has been little change in the proportion of people in each state and territory who spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language.

The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language in 2021 was:

Highest in the Northern Territory (58.5%)
Lowest in Tasmania (0.6%).

New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory recorded small increases (1.1 percentage points or less) in the proportion of people who spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language between 2016 and 2021.

Graph 2. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons who spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language by State/Territory, 2011-2021
	2011 (%)	2016 (%)	2021 (%)
New South Wales	0.7	0.8	1.9
Victoria	1.1	1.0	1.5
Queensland	7.5	7.0	8.0
South Australia	11.5	9.7	10.1
Western Australia	13.5	13.3	12.6
Tasmania	0.3	0.3	0.6
Northern Territory	60.0	59.6	58.5
Australian Capital Territory	2.0	1.8	2.9

Graph 2. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons who spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language by State/Territory, 2011-2021

["","2011","2016","2021"]

[["New South Wales","Victoria","Queensland","South Australia","Western Australia","Tasmania","Northern Territory","Australian Capital Territory"],[[0.69999999999999996],[1.1000000000000001],[7.5],[11.5],[13.5],[0.29999999999999999],[60],[2]],[[0.80000000000000004],[1],[7],[9.6999999999999993],[13.300000000000001],[0.29999999999999999],[59.600000000000001],[1.8]],[[1.8999999999999999],[1.5],[8],[10.1],[12.6],[0.59999999999999998],[58.5],[2.8999999999999999]]]

[]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"State\/Territory","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":"0","axis_max":"70","tick_interval":"10","precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Data is based on place of usual residence. Excludes overseas visitors.

Please note that there are small random adjustments 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 table totals.

Source: Census of Population and Housing, 2011, 2016 and 2021.

Data available in table 1.5 in ‘Language speakers’ from ‘Data downloads’.

The Indigenous Locations with the largest number of people who spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language in 2021 were:

Maningrida, NT (2,198 people)
Galiwinku, NT (1,964 people)
Yarrabah, QLD (1,958 people)
Wadeye, NT (1,575 people)
Wurrumiyanga (Nguiu), NT (1,154 people)
Milingimbi, NT (1,003 people)
Ngukurr, NT (986 people)
Gunbalanya, NT (932 people)
Aurukun, QLD (903 people)
Palm Island, QLD (836 people).

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Status

In 2021:

8.9% of people who identified as Aboriginal spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language at home
19.8% of people who identified as Torres Strait Islander spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language at home
11.8% of people who identified as both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language at home.

Graph 3. Language used at home by Indigenous status, 2021(a)
	Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language (%)	English (%)	Other language (%)	Not stated (%)
Aboriginal	8.9	85.2	1.1	4.8
Torres Strait Islander	19.8	66.1	7.1	7.0
Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander	11.8	77.4	3.7	7.1

Graph 3. Language used at home by Indigenous status, 2021(a)

["","Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language","English","Other language","Not stated"]

[["Aboriginal","Torres Strait Islander","Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander"],[[8.9000000000000004],[19.800000000000001],[11.800000000000001]],[[85.200000000000003],[66.099999999999994],[77.400000000000006]],[[1.1000000000000001],[7.0999999999999996],[3.7000000000000002]],[[4.7999999999999998],[7],[7.0999999999999996]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":"0","axis_max":"90","tick_interval":"10","precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Data is based on place of usual residence. Excludes overseas visitors.

(a) In the 2021 Census, the question 'Does the person use a language other than English at home' was amended to include the word 'use' rather than 'speak' to better accommodate members of the community who use sign language. For more information, see Language used at home (LANP) in the 2021 Census Dictionary.

Please note that there are small random adjustments 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 table totals.

Source: Census of Population and Housing, 2021.

Data available in table 1.2 in ‘Language speakers’ from ‘Data downloads’.

Age

The median age of people who spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language in 2021 was 27 years, up from 26 years in 2016. During the same period, the age distribution of people who spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language has remained steady.

Graph 4. Age distribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons who spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language at home
	0-14 years (%)	15-24 years (%)	25-44 years (%)	45-64 years (%)	65 years and over (%)
2011	31.5	19.0	29.5	15.7	4.2
2016	29.4	18.3	29.4	18.4	4.6
2021	32.7	17.2	27.5	16.9	5.7

Graph 4. Age distribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons who spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language at home

["","0-14 years","15-24 years","25-44 years","45-64 years","65 years and over"]

[["2011","2016","2021"],[[31.5],[29.399999999999999],[32.700000000000003]],[[19],[18.300000000000001],[17.199999999999999]],[[29.5],[29.399999999999999],[27.5]],[[15.699999999999999],[18.399999999999999],[16.899999999999999]],[[4.2000000000000002],[4.5999999999999996],[5.7000000000000002]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":"0","axis_max":"100","tick_interval":"10","precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Data is based on place of usual residence. Excludes overseas visitors.

Please note that there are small random adjustments 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 table totals.

Source: Census of Population and Housing, 2021.

Data available in table 1.4 in ‘Language speakers’ from ‘Data downloads’.

Number of languages spoken

There were over 150 Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander languages in the ASCL that were actively spoken (i.e., had one or more users) in 2021, and 50 languages with no reported users (see table 3).

There were 78 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages not spoken by children aged 0-14 years.

Table 3. Number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages spoken by number of speakers (ranged), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons, 2011-2021(a)(b)
Number of speakers (range)	2011	2016	2021
5,001-8,000 speakers	2	2	2
1,001-5,000 speakers	13	9	17
501-1,000 speakers	11	9	8
251-500 speakers	14	18	24
51-250 speakers	41	41	38
11-50 speakers	41	50	54
1-10 speakers	30	32	24
0 speakers	60	56	50
Number of languages spoken (1 or more speakers)	224	161	167

Data is based on place of usual residence. Excludes overseas visitors.

Please note that there are small random adjustments 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 table totals.

Excludes languages that are not further defined (‘nfd’).
Includes languages that are not elsewhere classified (‘nec’).

Source: Census of Population and Housing, 2011, 2016 and 2021.

Data derived from tables 1.3.2, 1.3.4 and 1.3.5 in ‘Language speakers’ from ‘Data downloads’.

Most commonly spoken languages

The most commonly spoken Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages in 2021 were:

Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole) (7,596 people)
Kriol (7,403 people)[²]
Djambarrpuyngu (3,839 people).

These were also the most commonly spoken languages in 2016.

There were 4,197 people (5.0%) coded to ‘Australian Indigenous Languages nfd’ in 2021, down from 8,625 people (13.5%) in 2016.

‘Australian Indigenous Languages nfd’ is a supplementary code in the ASCL and is not considered a language group. It includes responses to the language used at home question that only provided enough information to indicate a person spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language.

Table 4. Top 10 most commonly spoken Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons, 2021
Language	Number of speakers	Indigenous Locations with the highest number of speakers
Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)	7,596	Bamaga and Surrounds (Qld) TRAWQ (Thursday Island) (Qld) Port Kennedy (Thursday Island) (Qld)
Kriol	7,403	Ngukurr (NT) Minyerri (NT) Wugular (Beswick) (NT)
Australian Indigenous Languages, nfd(a)	4,197	Townsville (Qld) Wadeye (NT) Palm Island (Qld)
Djambarrpuyngu	3,839	Galiwinku (NT) Ramingining (NT) Milingimbi (NT)
Pitjantjatjara	3,399	Pukatja (Ernabella) (SA) Amata - Tjurma Homelands (SA) Kaltjiti (Fregon) and Irintata Homelands (SA)
Other Australian Indigenous Languages, nec (b)	2,863	Palm Island (Qld) Port Macquarie (NSW) Shoalhaven (NSW)
Cape York Peninsula Languages, nec	2,688	Yarrabah (Qld) Lockhart River (Qld) Injinoo (Qld)
Warlpiri	2,592	Yuendumu and Outstations (NT) Lajamanu (NT) Nyirripi (NT)
Murrinh Patha	2,063	Wadeye (NT) Nganmarriyanga (Palumpa) (NT) Thamarrurr exc. Wadeye (NT)
Tiwi	2,053	Wurrumiyanga (Nguiu) (NT) Milikapiti (NT) Pirlangimpi (NT)

Please note that there are small random adjustments 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 table totals.

Data is based on place of usual residence.

Australian Indigenous Languages nfd is a supplementary code in the Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL) and is not considered a language group.
Not elsewhere classified ‘nec’ is for any language which is not separately identified in the ASCL because it does not meet the threshold for the minimum number of speakers.

Source: Census of Population and Housing, 2021.

There were slight differences in the age distribution of the top 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages spoken at home.

The languages with the highest proportion of children aged 0-14 years using language were:

Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole) (32.8%)
Cape York Peninsula languages, nec (31.4%)
Warlpiri (30.8%)
Alyawarr (31.3%).

These language age distributions vary from the overall age distribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people counted in the 2021 Census:

32.7% were aged 0-14 years
18.5% were aged 15-24 years
25.3% were aged 25-44 years
17.7% were aged 45-64 years
5.9% were aged 65 years and over.

Graph 5. Age distribution of the top 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages spoken at home, 2021(a)
	0-14 years (%)	15-24 years (%)	25-44 years (%)	45-64 years (%)	65 years and over (%)
Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)	32.8	17.4	27.8	16.8	5.2
Kriol	29.0	20.1	31.5	16.1	3.2
Djambarrpuyngu	26.4	22.9	31.0	17.0	3.0
Pitjantjatjara	24.9	17.2	32.2	20.0	5.8
Other Australian Indigenous Languages, nec	30.0	13.6	28.6	22.0	5.8
Cape York Peninsula Languages, nec	31.4	18.8	26.5	18.5	4.6
Warlpiri	30.8	17.3	28.4	17.7	5.5
Murrinh Patha	29.1	21.9	31.4	13.9	3.3
Tiwi	24.6	18.6	31.8	21.8	3.5
Alyawarr	31.3	17.2	31.5	15.0	4.9

Graph 5. Age distribution of the top 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages spoken at home, 2021(a)

["","0-14 years","15-24 years","25-44 years","45-64 years","65 years and over"]

[["Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)","Kriol","Djambarrpuyngu","Pitjantjatjara","Other Australian Indigenous Languages, nec","Cape York Peninsula Languages, nec","Warlpiri","Murrinh Patha","Tiwi","Alyawarr"],[[32.799999999999997],[29],[26.399999999999999],[24.899999999999999],[30],[31.399999999999999],[30.800000000000001],[29.100000000000001],[24.600000000000001],[31.300000000000001]],[[17.399999999999999],[20.100000000000001],[22.899999999999999],[17.199999999999999],[13.6],[18.800000000000001],[17.300000000000001],[21.899999999999999],[18.600000000000001],[17.199999999999999]],[[27.800000000000001],[31.5],[31],[32.200000000000003],[28.600000000000001],[26.5],[28.399999999999999],[31.399999999999999],[31.800000000000001],[31.5]],[[16.800000000000001],[16.100000000000001],[17],[20],[22],[18.5],[17.699999999999999],[13.9],[21.800000000000001],[15]],[[5.2000000000000002],[3.2000000000000002],[3],[5.7999999999999998],[5.7999999999999998],[4.5999999999999996],[5.5],[3.2999999999999998],[3.5],[4.9000000000000004]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":"0","axis_max":"100","tick_interval":"10","precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Please note that there are small random adjustments 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 table totals.

Data is based on place of usual residence.

Excludes Australian Indigenous Languages nfd as this is a supplementary code in the Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL) and is not considered a language group.

Source: Census of Population and Housing, 2021.

Data available in table 1.3.4 in ‘Language speakers’ from ‘Data downloads’.

English as a second language

The information presented in this section is available to download in ‘English as a second language’ from ‘Data downloads’.

In the Census, people who use a language other than English at home are asked how well they speak English on a scale of ‘Very Well’ to ‘Not at All’. Responses to this question are subjective and are not a definitive indicator of a person’s English language proficiency.

The majority (87.4%) of people who spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language at home in 2021 reported using English ‘Very well’ or ‘Well’ (up from 81.6% in 2011).

A small proportion reported speaking English ‘Not well’ ‘(7.9% down from 13.1% in 2011) or ‘Not at All’ (2.1%, down from 3.6% in 2011).

Graph 6. Proficiency in spoken English, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons who reported speaking an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language, 2011-2021(a)
	Very well (%)	Well (%)	Not well (%)	Not at all (%)	Not stated(b) (%)
2011	47.3	34.3	13.1	3.6	1.7
2016	51.5	33.9	8.9	2.2	3.4
2021	56.6	30.9	7.9	2.1	2.6

Graph 6. Proficiency in spoken English, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons who reported speaking an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language, 2011-2021(a)

["","Very well","Well","Not well","Not at all","Not stated(b)"]

[["2011","2016","2021"],[[47.299999999999997],[51.5],[56.600000000000001]],[[34.299999999999997],[33.899999999999999],[30.899999999999999]],[[13.1],[8.9000000000000004],[7.9000000000000004]],[[3.6000000000000001],[2.2000000000000002],[2.1000000000000001]],[[1.7],[3.3999999999999999],[2.6000000000000001]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":"0","axis_max":"60","tick_interval":"10","precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Please note that there are small random adjustments 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 table totals.

Data is based on place of usual residence. Excludes overseas visitors.

Excludes people whose main language spoken at home was English.
Includes people who did not state their main language at home or proficiency in spoken English, and people who spoke a language other than English at home but did not state their proficiency in spoken English.

Source: Census of Population and Housing, 2011, 2016 and 2021.

Data available in table 1.1 in ‘English as a second language’ from ‘Data downloads’.

The 2014-15 NATSISS asked people aged 15 years and over whose main language spoken at home was an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language ‘When you go to places where only English is spoken, do you have problems with:

Understanding people there?
People there understanding you?’.

Whether people respond that they experience either, both or neither of these problems provides a measure of whether people have difficulty communicating with English speakers.

In 2014-15, just over one-third (37.9%) of people aged 15 years and over whose main language spoken at home was an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language reported experiencing difficulty understanding and/or being understood by English speakers.

Understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages

The information presented in this section is available to download in ‘Language learning’ from ‘Data downloads’.

The information in this section is from the 2014-15 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS). The NATSISS is currently the only source of information collected by the ABS on the learning and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages amongst people whose main language spoken at home is English.

Speaking and/or understanding part, or all, of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language is an important part of strengthening the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages spoken[³].

The 2014-15 NATSISS asked people whose main language spoken at home was not an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language a series of questions about whether they could also speak or understand an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language. Of these people:

22.7% could speak and understand some words
12.2% could understand some words but not speak any words
7.2% could speak and understand an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language.

Of people in remote areas whose main language spoken at home was not an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language:

36.3% could speak and understand some words
20.0% could speak and understand an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language.

Of people in non-remote areas whose main language spoken at home was not an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language:

20.4% could speak and understand some words
12.4% could not speak an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language but could understand some words.

Graph 7. Whether speaks and/or understands an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons(a), 2014-15
	Non-remote (%) (%)	95% confidence interval (%) (low)	95% confidence interval (%) (high)	Remote (%) (%)	95% confidence interval (%) (low)	95% confidence interval (%) (high)	Australia (b) (%) (%)	95% confidence interval (%) (low)	95% confidence interval (%) (high)
Speaks and understands a language	5.0			20.0	11.9	28.1	7.2	1.3	13.1
Speaks some words and understands some words	20.4	15.5	25.3	36.3	30.6	42.0	22.7	18.8	26.6
Can understand but not speak a language	0.9			4.6			1.4
Does not speak a language but can understand some words	12.4	6.5	18.3	11.3	2.1	20.5	12.2	7.3	17.1
Does not speak or understand a language	61.3	59.6	63.0	27.8	22.1	33.5	56.5	54.8	58.2

Graph 7. Whether speaks and/or understands an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons(a), 2014-15

["","Non-remote (%)","95% confidence interval","Remote (%)","95% confidence interval","Australia (b) (%)","95% confidence interval"]

[["Speaks and understands a language","Speaks some words and understands some words","Can understand but not speak a language","Does not speak a language but can understand some words","Does not speak or understand a language"],[[5],[20.399999999999999],[0.90000000000000002],[12.4],[61.299999999999997]],[[null],[15.5,25.300000000000001],[null],[6.5,18.300000000000001],[59.600000000000001,63]],[[20],[36.299999999999997],[4.5999999999999996],[11.300000000000001],[27.800000000000001]],[[11.9,28.100000000000001],[30.600000000000001,42],[null],[2.1000000000000001,20.5],[22.100000000000001,33.5]],[[7.2000000000000002],[22.699999999999999],[1.3999999999999999],[12.199999999999999],[56.5]],[[1.3,13.1],[18.800000000000001,26.600000000000001],[null],[7.2999999999999998,17.100000000000001],[54.799999999999997,58.200000000000003]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":"0","axis_max":"70","tick_interval":"10","precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Cells in this table have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data. Discrepancies may occur between sums of the component items and totals.

Data is for persons aged 3 years and over. Excludes persons whose main language spoken at home was an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language and persons not currently speaking.
Includes migratory-offshore-shipping and no usual address.

Source: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, 2014-15

Data available in table 2.1 in ‘Language speakers’ from ‘Data downloads’

Learning of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages

Around one in ten (11.6%) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people whose main language spoken at home was not an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language were learning an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language in 2014-15 – similar to 2008 (11.8%).

In non-remote areas, there was very little change in the proportion of people learning an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language between 2008 and 2014-15.

In remote areas, there was a small increase in the proportions of children and young adults learning an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language between 2008 and 2014-15, though the increase was not statistically significant.

Graph 8. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons learning an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language by age and remoteness, 2008 and 2014-15(a)
	2008	95% confidence interval (low)	95% confidence interval (high)	2014-15	95% confidence interval (low)	95% confidence interval (high)
Non-remote
Children (3-14 years)	16.6	13.7	19.5	16.7	13.8	19.6
Young Adults (15-24 years)	5.5	3.8	7.2	5.0	2.5	7.5
Adults (25 years and over)	6.6	5.2	8.0	6.9	5.6	8.2
Remote
Children (3-14 years)	41.3	34.9	47.7	44.8	38.7	50.9
Young Adults (15-24 years)	18.9	13.6	24.3	23.2	14.5	31.9
Adults (25 years and over)	11.1	8.4	13.8	10.9	8.3	13.5

Graph 8. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons learning an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language by age and remoteness, 2008 and 2014-15(a)

["","2008","95% confidence interval","2014-15","95% confidence interval"]

[["Non-remote","Children (3-14 years)","Young Adults (15-24 years)","Adults (25 years and over)","Remote","Children (3-14 years)","Young Adults (15-24 years)","Adults (25 years and over)"],[[null],[16.600000000000001],[5.5],[6.5999999999999996],[null],[41.299999999999997],[18.899999999999999],[11.1]],[[null],[13.699999999999999,19.5],[3.7999999999999998,7.2000000000000002],[5.2000000000000002,8],[null],[34.899999999999999,47.700000000000003],[13.6,24.300000000000001],[8.4000000000000004,13.800000000000001]],[[null],[16.699999999999999],[5],[6.9000000000000004],[null],[44.799999999999997],[23.199999999999999],[10.9]],[[null],[13.800000000000001,19.600000000000001],[2.5,7.5],[5.5999999999999996,8.1999999999999993],[null],[38.700000000000003,50.899999999999999],[14.5,31.899999999999999],[8.3000000000000007,13.5]]]

[]

[{"axis_id":"0","tick_interval":"","axis_min":"","axis_max":"","axis_title":"","precision":-1,"axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":"0","axis_max":"60","tick_interval":"5","precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Cells in this table have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data. Discrepancies may occur between sums of the component items and totals.

Data is for persons aged 3 years and over. Excludes persons whose main language spoken at home was an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language and persons not currently speaking.

Source: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, 2008 and 2014-15

Data available in table 1.1 and 1.2 in ‘Language learning’ from ‘Data downloads’

Where people were learning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages

Families and communities play an essential role in sharing and promoting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. The 2014-15 NATSISS asked people who were learning an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language ‘Where are you learning or who is teaching you the language?’. People could choose more than one option from a list that included:

Parent
Brother/sister
Partner/husband/wife
Other relative (e.g. Auntie or Grandfather, Community Elder Neighbour/friend/other community member)
Volunteer organisation or community group organisation
School
TAFE/University
Adult learning centre/community centre/library
Other.

The main sources of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language learning were:

Family members (62.1%)
School, TAFE or University (26.5%)
Community members (21.2%).

In non-remote areas, volunteer organisations, community groups, adult learning centres and libraries were also important places of language learning (14.0%).

A considerable proportion of children aged 3-14 years (39.5%) were learning an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language at school.

Graph 9. Where people were learning Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander languages by remoteness, 2014-15(a)
	Family member (c)	95% confidence interval (low)	95% confidence interval (high)	Community member (d)	95% confidence interval (low)	95% confidence interval (high)	School, university or TAFE	95% confidence interval (low)	95% confidence interval (high)	Other (e)	95% confidence interval (low)	95% confidence interval (high)
Non-Remote	56.7	52.1	61.3	22	16.0	28.0	27.9	21.6	34.2	14	9.9	18.1
Remote	74.1	68.1	80.1	18.7	11.6	25.8	22.5	13.0	32.0	5.1	1.8	8.4
Australia (b)	62.1	57.7	66.5	21.2	16.4	26.0	26.5	21.1	31.9	11.3	8.3	14.3

Graph 9. Where people were learning Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander languages by remoteness, 2014-15(a)

["","Family member (c)","95% confidence interval","Community member (d)","95% confidence interval","School, university or TAFE","95% confidence interval","Other (e)","95% confidence interval"]

[["Non-Remote","Remote","Australia (b)"],[[56.700000000000003],[74.099999999999994],[62.100000000000001]],[[52.100000000000001,61.299999999999997],[68.099999999999994,80.099999999999994],[57.700000000000003,66.5]],[[22],[18.699999999999999],[21.199999999999999]],[[16,28],[11.6,25.800000000000001],[16.399999999999999,26]],[[27.899999999999999],[22.5],[26.5]],[[21.600000000000001,34.200000000000003],[13,32],[21.100000000000001,31.899999999999999]],[[14],[5.0999999999999996],[11.300000000000001]],[[9.9000000000000004,18.100000000000001],[1.8,8.4000000000000004],[8.3000000000000007,14.300000000000001]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"","axis_min":"0","axis_max":"90","tick_interval":"10","precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Cells in this table have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data. Discrepancies may occur between sums of the component items and totals.

Data is for persons aged 3 years and over. Excludes persons whose main language spoken at home was an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language and persons not currently speaking.
Includes migratory-offshore-shipping and no usual address.
Includes parent, sibling, partner and other relatives.
Includes elder, neighbour and friend.
Includes volunteer organisations, community groups, adult learning centres, libraries and other.

Source: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, 2014-15

Data available in table 2.1 in ‘Language learning’ from ‘Data downloads’

Topic	Disaggregation	Collection	Table
Language spoken/used at home	Time Series	Census 1991-2021	Table 1.1
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons who spoke/used an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language at home by Indigenous status	Language, Indigenous status, Time Series	Census 2006-2021	Table 1.2
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons who spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language at home by age	Language, Age	Census 2006	Table 1.3.1
	Language, Age	Census 2011	Table 1.3.2
	Language, Age	Census 2016	Table 1.3.3
	Language, Age	Census 2021	Table 1.3.4
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons who spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language at home by age	Age (including median age), Time Series	Census 2006-2021	Table 1.4
Language spoken/used at home, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons by State/Territory	Language, State/Territory, Time Series	Census 2006-2021	Table 1.5
Whether speaks or understands an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language by Remoteness	Remoteness	NATSISS 2008 and 2014-15	Table 2.1

Topic	Disaggregation	Collection	Table
Language spoken at home by Indigenous Region and Indigenous Location, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons	Indigenous Region, Indigenous Location, Language spoken at home	Census 2016	Tables 1.1-1.9
Language used at home by Indigenous Region and Indigenous Location, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons	Indigenous Region, Indigenous Location, Language used at home	Census 2021	Tables 2.1-2.9

Topic	Disaggregation	Collection	Table
Proficiency in spoken English, persons who reported speaking an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language	Time series	Census 2006-2021	Table 1.1
Whether experienced difficulty understanding and/or being understood by English speakers	Remoteness	NATSISS 2014-15	Table 2.1

Topic	Disaggregation	Collection	Table number
Whether learning an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language	Remoteness, Age	NATSISS 2014-15	Table 1.1
Whether learning an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language	Remoteness, Age	NATSISS 2008	Table 1.2
Where people were learning an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Language	Remoteness	NATSISS 2014-15	Table 2.1
Where people were learning an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Language	Remoteness	NATSISS 2008	Table 2.2

APA

Language Statistics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

APA

Key statistics

Information sources and comparability

Information sources

Population change over time

Using ABS Language Data

Language used at home

Whether learning an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language

Available Geographies

The Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL)

How the ABS is improving the collection of language data

Closing the Gap and Other National Government reporting

Language speakers

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Status

Age

Number of languages spoken

Most commonly spoken languages

English as a second language

Understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages

Learning of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages

Where people were learning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages

Useful resources

References

Bibliography

Available data

Language speakers

Language speakers by State/Territory, Indigenous Region and Indigenous Location

English as a second language

Language learning

Data downloads

Language speakers

Language speakers by State/Territory and Indigenous Location

English as a second language

Language learning

Catalogue number

Methodology

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