| Total population |
|---|
| 405,158+ (by ancestry, 2009 estimate)[1] 243,722 (by ancestry, 2006)[2] 308,542 (by birth, 2009 estimate)[1] 147,106 (by birth, 2006)[3] |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Melbourne · Sydney · Brisbane · Perth · Adelaide |
| Languages |
| Religion |
|
Hinduism · Christianity · Atheism[4] · Sikhism · Jainism · Zoroastrianism · Islam · Judaism · Others |
An Indian Australian (also Indo-Australian) is an Australian of Indian heritage. They include both those who are Australian by birth, and increasingly, those born in India or elsewhere in the Indian diaspora. They are one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in Australia today.
In 2005-2006 India was the fourth major source of permanent migrants to Australia behind the United Kingdom, New Zealand and China. Between 2000–2001 and 2005–2006, the number of skilled migrants coming to Australia from India increased from 4,700 to 12,300 people.[5]
In 2008-2009 Australia's Indian-born population recorded the fastest growth in the country, increasing by 44,012 (17%).[1]
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The first Indians that arrived in Australia were predominantly Punjabis from the Punjab region in north-western India, religiously, they were predominantly Sikhs and Hindus. Between 1860 and 1901, more Indians arrived and worked as agricultural labourers, hawkers and domestic help. A number of Indians also worked in the gold fields.
Migration from India was curtailed after the Australian Government introduced the Immigration Restriction Act 1901, but following India's independence from Britain in 1947, the number of Anglo-Indians and Indian-born British citizens immigrating to Australia increased.[6][7]
At the 2006 Census 147,106 Australian residents declared that they were born in India, of which 79,025 held Australian citizenship. The states with the largest Indian-born residents were New South Wales (57,156), Victoria (52,853) and Western Australia (15,157). 64,968 declared they were Hindu, 49,975 declared they were Christian and 26,500 declared they were Sikh. Other minorities include Muslims and Zoroastrians. [3] 243,722 Australian residents declared that had Indian ancestry, either alone or in combination with another ancestry. [8]
The Indian-born community more than doubled between 2004 and 2009 to 308,542, making it the second largest non-Anglo community in Australia after Chinese-born Australians. [1] In 2009 there were an additional 90,000 Indian Students studying at Australian tertiary institutions according to Prime Minister Rudd.[9]
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