Afghan Australians

This article is about people from Afghanistan living in Australia. For the cameleers commonly known as "Afghans", see Afghan cameleers in Australia.

Afghan Australians
Total population
59,797 by birth (2021)
Languages
Dari (Persian dialect), Pashto, other languages of Afghanistan and English
Religion
Predominantly: Islam
(Sunni majority and Shia minority)
Related ethnic groups
Afghan New Zealanders, Afghan diaspora

Afghan Australians (Dari: استرالیایی های افغان‌تبار Ostorâliyâi-hāye Afghān tabar, Pashto: د اسټرالیا افغانان Da Asṭrālyā Afghanan) are Australians tied to Afghanistan either by birth or by ancestry.

The first Afghans who migrated to Australia arrived mid 19th century as cameleers. Over subsequent decades, they played a crucial role in facilitating British exploration of the country's desert centre.

The Australian government categorises Afghanistan and all Afghan ethnic groups as Central Asian Australians.[1][2][3]

  1. ^ Classifications. Cultural and ethnic groups.
  2. ^ "Chapter - Classification Structure". www.abs.gov.au. 19 May 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and Ethnic Groups (ASCCEG), 2019 | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2024.