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| Notable African Australians: Bruce Djite • Waleed Aly Harry O'Brien • J.M. Coetzee |
| Total population |
|---|
| 248,605 (by country of birth, 2006)[1] |
| Regions with significant populations |
| All capital cities predominately Melbourne, Sydney and Perth |
| Languages |
| Religion |
|
Predominantly Christianity, Islam |
| Related ethnic groups |
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Africans, Sub-Saharan Africans, North African, White Africans of European ancestry |
African immigrants to Australia include Australian citizens and residents born in, or with ancestors from Africa. Immigration from Africa to Australia is only a recent phenomenon, with Europe and Asia traditionally being the largest sources of migration to Australia. In 2005-06 permanent settler arrivals to Australia included 4,000 South Africans and 3,800 Sudanese, constituting the sixth and seventh largest sources of migrants respectively.[2]
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There is no clear definition of what constitutes being an "African Australian". The Australian Bureau of Statistics records people according to their birthplace and their self-described ancestry, although aggregated data for Africa is split between "Sub-Saharan" and "North Africa and the Middle East"[3]
African immigrants to Australia include people of diverse cultural, linguistic, racial, religious, educational, and employment backgrounds.[4] However, immigration from Africa to Australia remained limited until the 1990s.
Most African immigrants in Australia come from South Africa and are largely of Afrikaner and British descent. Other South Africans emigrate courtesy of skilled migration programs. Opportunities in Australia, as well as push factors such as rising crime, unemployment and complications arising from the Black Economic Empowerment policies in their home country, have prompted many South Africans to migrate. Earlier, Australia had taken in Zimbabwe migrants who left under following the end of white minority rule[5]
Recent conflicts in various parts of Africa, particularly around the Horn of Africa, have prompted people to migrate through humanitarian programs.
Australia also has taken in refugees who left due to conflicts that emerged in the 1990s, such as in Sierra Leone, Burundi, Liberia, Congo, Rwanda and Sudan.[6]
At the 2006 Census, 248,605 residents declared that they were born in Africa.[1]
| Country | Population | Main city and proportion who live there |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 104,128 | Sydney (27.3%) |
| Egypt | 33,497 | Sydney (48.5%) |
| Zimbabwe | 20,157 | Perth (24.7%) |
| Sudan | 19,049 | Melbourne (31.0%) |
| Mauritius | 18,175 | Melbourne (48.6%) |
| Kenya | 9,940 | Perth (26.9%) |
| Ethiopia | 5,633 | Melbourne (53.9%) |
| Somalia | 4,316 | Melbourne (60.1%) |
| Zambia | 4,082 | Perth (30.7%) |
| Ghana | 2,771 | Sydney (51.0%) |
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