Ancestry statistics show how people describe their family background in population censuses. The 2021 Australian Census recorded English ancestry as the most frequently reported ancestry at 33.0%, followed by Australian ancestry at 29.9%. These figures are response shares: people could report up to two ancestries, so the percentages are not mutually exclusive.
Contents
- Most reported ancestries in Australia
- How Australian ancestry shares changed
- Ancestry by generation
- Ethnic-group indicators in England and Wales
- Aboriginal ancestry in Australia
- New South Wales and Sydney
Most reported ancestries in Australia
The Australian Bureau of Statistics publication Cultural diversity of Australia reports the leading ancestry responses from the 2021 Census. English ancestry was reported by 33.0% of Australia’s population, while Australian ancestry was reported by 29.9%.
The next most common responses were Irish ancestry at 9.5% and Scottish ancestry at 8.6%. Chinese ancestry was reported by 5.5%. The Australian Bureau of Statistics data-items report gives further 2021 shares: Italian ancestry at 4.5%, German ancestry at 4.2%, Indian ancestry at 3.2%, Australian Aboriginal ancestry at 3.0%, and Greek ancestry at 1.7%.
| Reported ancestry | Share of Australia’s population, 2021 |
|---|---|
| English | 33.0% |
| Australian | 29.9% |
| Irish | 9.5% |
| Scottish | 8.6% |
| Chinese | 5.5% |
| Italian | 4.5% |
| German | 4.2% |
| Indian | 3.2% |
| Australian Aboriginal | 3.0% |
| Greek | 1.7% |
These numbers describe how ancestry was reported in the census, not a single, exclusive identity assigned to each person. A respondent could select two ancestry categories, which means the listed shares cannot be added to produce a total population share without double-counting some people.
How Australian ancestry shares changed
The same ABS report provides responses across the 2011, 2016, and 2021 censuses. English ancestry responses were 34.9% in 2011, 35.3% in 2016, and 34.4% in 2021. Australian ancestry responses were 34.2%, 32.8%, and 31.2% across those three census years.
Irish ancestry responses measured 10.1% in 2011, 10.7% in 2016, and 9.9% in 2021. Scottish ancestry responses were 8.6%, 9.1%, and 8.9%. Chinese ancestry responses rose from 4.2% in 2011 to 5.5% in 2016 and 5.7% in 2021.
| Ancestry response | 2011 | 2016 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 34.9% | 35.3% | 34.4% |
| Australian | 34.2% | 32.8% | 31.2% |
| Irish | 10.1% | 10.7% | 9.9% |
| Scottish | 8.6% | 9.1% | 8.9% |
| Chinese | 4.2% | 5.5% | 5.7% |
| Italian | 4.4% | 4.5% | 4.5% |
| German | 4.3% | 4.4% | 4.2% |
| Indian | 1.9% | 2.8% | 3.2% |
| Greek | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.7% |
Italian ancestry responses were 4.4% in 2011, 4.5% in 2016, and 4.5% in 2021. German ancestry responses were 4.3%, 4.4%, and 4.2%. Indian ancestry responses increased from 1.9% to 2.8% and then 3.2%. Greek ancestry responses were 1.8% in both 2011 and 2016, followed by 1.7% in 2021.
The Aboriginal ancestry series requires special care. The ABS report lists Australian Aboriginal ancestry responses at 0.6% in 2011, 0.6% in 2016, and 3.0% in 2021, but the ABS notes that the 2021 response category changed. The figures are retained here as reported by the ABS and should not be treated as a directly comparable time series.
Ancestry by generation
The ABS Cultural diversity of Australia publication also separates ancestry responses by generation in 2021. Among first-generation Australians, English ancestry was the leading listed ancestry at 20.7%. Chinese ancestry was reported by 14.0%, Indian ancestry by 8.3%, Scottish ancestry by 5.1%, and Irish ancestry by 4.8%.
Among second-generation Australians, English ancestry led at 32.5%. Australian ancestry was reported by 30.9%, followed by Italian ancestry at 7.9%, Scottish ancestry at 7.6%, and Irish ancestry at 6.8%.
The third-plus-generation group had a different leading pattern. Australian ancestry was the leading listed ancestry at 48.9%, while English ancestry was reported by 44.2%. Irish ancestry reached 14.6%, Scottish ancestry 12.1%, and Australian Aboriginal ancestry 5.8%.
| Generation group | Five selected ancestry responses in 2021 |
|---|---|
| First generation | English 20.7%; Chinese 14.0%; Indian 8.3%; Scottish 5.1%; Irish 4.8% |
| Second generation | English 32.5%; Australian 30.9%; Italian 7.9%; Scottish 7.6%; Irish 6.8% |
| Third-plus generation | Australian 48.9%; English 44.2%; Irish 14.6%; Scottish 12.1%; Australian Aboriginal 5.8% |
The generation breakdown is useful for genealogy because it separates recent migration patterns from ancestry responses among people whose families have lived in Australia for more generations. It also reinforces why a national percentage should not be read as a uniform pattern across every family line. First-generation responses include relatively high Chinese and Indian shares, while Australian ancestry is especially prominent among the third-plus-generation group.
Ethnic-group indicators in England and Wales
The Office for National Statistics measures a different concept in its Ethnic group, England and Wales: Census 2021 bulletin. The figures below are ethnic-group indicators, not responses to the Australian ancestry question.
In England and Wales, 44.4 million usual residents, or 74.4%, identified as English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish, or British within the White ethnic group in 2021. The White: Irish ethnic group accounted for 507,000 usual residents, or 0.9%. The Roma ethnic group accounted for 101,000 usual residents, or 0.2%.
The ONS figures also identify African ethnic-group categories. The African ethnic group accounted for 1.5 million usual residents, or 2.5%, in England and Wales. Within specified categories, Nigerian was reported by 271,000 usual residents, or 0.5%; Somali by 151,000, or 0.3%; and Ghanaian by 113,000, or 0.2%.
These statistics can support family-history research when used with the correct terminology. An ethnic-group response and an ancestry response may overlap in ordinary conversation, but the two census measures have different definitions and should not be combined as if they were one dataset.
Aboriginal ancestry in Australia
The ABS publication Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ancestries reports that 741,307 people, or 2.9% of Australia’s population, reported Aboriginal ancestry in the 2021 Census. The same source reports 144,173 people in 2016, so the reported count was 741,307 in 2021 compared with 144,173 in 2016.
Because the ABS identifies a 2021 response-category change, the two counts should be read with that methodological context. The difference is a reported change in the census series, not proof that the underlying population changed by the same amount.
The 2021 state counts included 259,592 people reporting Aboriginal ancestry in New South Wales and 205,922 in Queensland. Western Australia recorded 81,117, while Victoria recorded 62,535. These are counts of people reporting the ancestry in the named state, rather than percentages of each state’s population.
New South Wales and Sydney
The 2021 New South Wales Census All persons QuickStats recorded 2,404,990 people reporting English ancestry, equal to 29.8% of the state population. Australian ancestry was reported by 2,307,549 people, or 28.6%. Chinese ancestry was reported by 581,641 people, or 7.2%.
The Sydney figures in the 2021 Sydney Census All persons QuickStats show a different regional profile. Sydney recorded 24,601 people reporting English ancestry, equal to 26.3% of the city population. Australian ancestry was reported by 14,913 people, or 16.0%, while Chinese ancestry was reported by 13,998 people, or 15.0%. Irish ancestry was reported by 9,838 people, or 10.5%.
| Area and ancestry | People reporting | Share of area population |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales: English | 2,404,990 | 29.8% |
| New South Wales: Australian | 2,307,549 | 28.6% |
| New South Wales: Chinese | 581,641 | 7.2% |
| Sydney: English | 24,601 | 26.3% |
| Sydney: Australian | 14,913 | 16.0% |
| Sydney: Chinese | 13,998 | 15.0% |
| Sydney: Irish | 9,838 | 10.5% |
The state and city results illustrate why geography matters in ancestry statistics. English ancestry was reported by 29.8% of New South Wales residents and 26.3% of Sydney residents. Australian ancestry was 28.6% in the state and 16.0% in Sydney, while Chinese ancestry was 7.2% in New South Wales and 15.0% in Sydney. The figures are census responses for 2021 and should be interpreted within each area’s population base.