 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2022) |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| More than 57.2% of the population (2021 census)[1][A][B] English Australians: 8,385,928 Irish Australians: 2,410,833 Scottish Australians: 2,176,777 Italian Australians: 1,108,364 German Australians: 1,026,138 Greek Australians: 424,744 Dutch Australians: 381,948 Polish Australians: 209,281 Maltese Australians: 198,989 Croatian Australians: 164,362 Welsh Australians: 156,108 French Australians: 148,927 Spanish Australians: 128,693 Macedonian Australians: 111,352 Serbian Australians: 94,997 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| All states and territories of Australia[5] | |
| Languages | |
| Predominantly Australian English Italian • German • Greek • Dutch • Other European languages[5][6] | |
| Religion | |
| Traditionally Christianity[citation needed] |
European Australians are citizens or residents of Australia whose ancestry originates from the peoples of Europe. They form the largest panethnic group in the country.[7] At the 2021 census, the number of ancestry responses categorised within European ancestral groups as a proportion of the total population amounted to more than 57.2% (46% North-West European and 11.2% Southern and Eastern European).[1][2] It is impossible to quantify the precise proportion of the population with European ancestry. For instance, many census recipients nominated two European ancestries, tending towards an overcount. Conversely, 29.9% of census recipients nominated "Australian" ancestry (categorised within the Oceanian ancestry group, although most of them are likely to be of Anglo-Celtic or European ancestry),[4][2] tending towards an undercount.
Since the early 19th century, people of European descent have formed the majority of the population in Australia. Historically, European immigrants had great influence over Australian culture and society, which results in the perception of Australia as a European-derived country.[8][9]
The majority of European Australians are of British Isles – English, Irish, Scottish, or Welsh – ancestral origin. While not an official ancestral classification, they are often referred to as Anglo-Celtic Australians. Other significant ancestries include Italian, German, Greek, Dutch, European New Zealanders, Polish, Maltese, and Scandinavian.[10][11]
- ^ a b "Australian Bureau of Statistics : Census of Population and Housing: Cultural diversity data summary, 2021" (XLSX). Abs.gov.au. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
- ^ a b c "Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and Ethnic Groups (ASCCEG), 2019 | Australian Bureau of Statistics". 18 December 2019.
- ^ "Understanding and using Ancestry data | Australian Bureau of Statistics". 28 June 2022.
- ^ a b "Feature Article – Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Australia (Feature Article)". 1301.0 – Year Book Australia, 1995. Commonwealth of Australia. Australian Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ a b "4102.0 - Australian Social Trends, 2014". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
- ^ "2071.0 - Reflecting a Nation: Stories from the 2011 Census, 2012–2013". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 21 June 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
- ^ "paa2012". paa2012.princeton.edu. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ Grant, Don; Seal, Graham (1994). Australia in the World: Perceptions and Possibilities : Papers from the "Outside Images of Australia" Conference, Perth, 1992. Black Swan Press, Curtin University of Technology. p. 365. ISBN 978-0-646-16487-8.
- ^ Brown, Kerry (13 June 2013). "Oz's Reorientation". Beijing Review. No. 24. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
- ^ Glenn - The Census Expert (15 November 2012). "What's your ancestry?". blog.id.com.au. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
- ^ "Main Features - Main Features". Abs.gov.au. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 18 April 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
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