SourceTargetCommunity Atlas
Local Government Area · Queensland

Cairns

164,386 residents · 122+ languages recorded at suburb level.

CALD share
22.0%
36,204 people
Growth since last census
+29.8%
vs previous census
In context
1.19× Queensland avg
0.81× national avg
Population
164,386
CALD residents
36,204
Languages spoken
122
Fastest-growing
+148%
Narrative

Why this matters

Cairns is home to 164,386 residents. 22.0% of them speak a language other than English at home. That's 36,204 people whose daily linguistic reality shapes how services, communications and campaigns actually reach them.

This briefing pulls the full ABS Census 2021 picture for Cairns into a single shareable document: the languages spoken at home, the communities growing fastest, and the suburb-level variation that a council-wide average hides.

Languages

The twelve most-spoken

Bars show share of LGA residents · growth since last census

  1. 01
    Japanese2,351 · 1.4%
    ▲0.9%
  2. 02
    Nepali1,091 · 0.7%
    ▲30.7%
  3. 03
    Mandarin1,077 · 0.7%
    ▼0.4%
  4. 04
    Punjabi1,039 · 0.6%
    ▲21.2%
  5. 05
    Italian883 · 0.5%
    ▼10.2%
  6. 06
    German866 · 0.5%
    ▲0.7%
  1. 01
    Korean785 · 0.5%
    ▼19.4%
  2. 02
    Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)778 · 0.5%
    ▲19.0%
  3. 03
    Tagalog740 · 0.5%
    ▲0.1%
  4. 04
    Hmong725 · 0.4%
    ▲20.2%
  5. 05
    Spanish658 · 0.4%
    ▲103.7%
  6. 06
    Malayalam538 · 0.3%
    ▲147.9%
Composition

Everyone at home

ENGLISH · 78%
OTHER
ENGLISH ONLY 78.0%  ·  OTHER LANGUAGES 22.0%
Japanese
2,351 · +0.9%
Nepali
1,091 · +30.7%
Mandarin
1,077 · -0.4%
Punjabi
1,039 · +21.2%
Italian
883 · -10.2%
German
866 · +0.7%
Korean
785 · -19.4%
Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)
778 · +19.0%
Tagalog
740 · +0.1%
Hmong
725 · +20.2%
Spanish
658 · +103.7%
Malayalam
538 · +147.9%
Cantonese
513 · +3.4%
French
496 · +15.3%
Thai
490 · +44.1%
SIZE = SPEAKERS  ·  TINT = GROWTH SINCE LAST CENSUS
  1. 01
    Japanese2,351 · 1.4%
    ▲0.9%
  2. 02
    Nepali1,091 · 0.7%
    ▲30.7%
  3. 03
    Mandarin1,077 · 0.7%
    ▼0.4%
  4. 04
    Punjabi1,039 · 0.6%
    ▲21.2%
  5. 05
    Italian883 · 0.5%
    ▼10.2%
  6. 06
    German866 · 0.5%
    ▲0.7%
  7. 07
    Korean785 · 0.5%
    ▼19.4%
  8. 08
    Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)778 · 0.5%
    ▲19.0%
  9. 09
    Tagalog740 · 0.5%
    ▲0.1%
  10. 10
    Hmong725 · 0.4%
    ▲20.2%
  11. 11
    Spanish658 · 0.4%
    ▲103.7%
  12. 12
    Malayalam538 · 0.3%
    ▲147.9%
Momentum

Fastest-growing languages

Top movers since the last census

#1
Language
Malayalam
+147.9%
538 speakers · 0.3% of LGA
#2
Language
Spanish
+103.7%
658 speakers · 0.4% of LGA
#3
Language
Thai
+44.1%
490 speakers · 0.3% of LGA
Sub-regions

Suburb-level data

Click a suburb to drill down to SAL-level figures

Portsmith
296 RESIDENTS
54.1% CALDTop: Dutch
Cairns City
3,545 RESIDENTS
53.8% CALDTop: Spanish
Parramatta Park
3,543 RESIDENTS
40.6% CALDTop: Japanese
Cairns North
5,145 RESIDENTS
38.5% CALDTop: Mandarin
Manoora (Qld)
6,009 RESIDENTS
33.7% CALDTop: Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)
Bungalow
2,299 RESIDENTS
33.6% CALDTop: Japanese
Westcourt
3,765 RESIDENTS
33.1% CALDTop: Nepali
Manunda
5,125 RESIDENTS
31.2% CALDTop: Nepali
Woree
5,036 RESIDENTS
30.4% CALDTop: Hmong
Mooroobool
6,980 RESIDENTS
27.2% CALDTop: Nepali
East Trinity
688 RESIDENTS
27.2% CALDTop: Mandarin
Kanimbla (Qld)
2,768 RESIDENTS
26.3% CALDTop: Nepali
Use this data

Commission a gap report for Cairns.

We turn census data into targeted outreach plans: which documents to translate first, which community leaders to engage, where the gaps are.