SourceTargetCommunity Atlas
Local Government Area · Victoria

Melbourne

145,992 residents · 123+ languages recorded at suburb level.

CALD share
52.5%
76,686 people
Growth since last census
+25.4%
vs previous census
In context
1.65× Victoria avg
1.94× national avg
Population
145,992
CALD residents
76,686
Languages spoken
123
Fastest-growing
+158%
Narrative

Why this matters

Melbourne is home to 145,992 residents. 52.5% of them speak a language other than English at home. That's 76,686 people whose daily linguistic reality shapes how services, communications and campaigns actually reach them.

This briefing pulls the full ABS Census 2021 picture for Melbourne 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
    Mandarin21,354 · 14.6%
    15.8%
  2. 02
    Cantonese5,130 · 3.5%
    4.1%
  3. 03
    Spanish4,040 · 2.8%
    74.7%
  4. 04
    Hindi3,523 · 2.4%
    54.3%
  5. 05
    Vietnamese3,124 · 2.1%
    51.9%
  6. 06
    Indonesian2,672 · 1.8%
    8.6%
  1. 01
    Korean2,321 · 1.6%
    18.2%
  2. 02
    Thai1,861 · 1.3%
    22.7%
  3. 03
    Arabic1,698 · 1.2%
    0.4%
  4. 04
    Italian1,482 · 1.0%
    15.8%
  5. 05
    Japanese1,084 · 0.7%
    3.8%
  6. 06
    Tamil1,054 · 0.7%
    32.4%
Composition

Everyone at home

ENGLISH · 47%
MAN
CAN
OTHER
ENGLISH ONLY 47.5%  ·  OTHER LANGUAGES 52.5%
Mandarin
21,354 · -15.8%
Cantonese
5,130 · -4.1%
Spanish
4,040 · +74.7%
Hindi
3,523 · +54.3%
Vietnamese
3,124 · +51.9%
Indonesian
2,672 · -8.6%
Korean
2,321 · -18.2%
Thai
1,861 · +22.7%
Arabic
1,698 · -0.4%
Italian
1,482 · -15.8%
Japanese
1.1k
Tamil
1.1k
Telugu
991
Somali
866
Filipino
827
SIZE = SPEAKERS  ·  TINT = GROWTH SINCE LAST CENSUS
  1. 01
    Mandarin21,354 · 14.6%
    15.8%
  2. 02
    Cantonese5,130 · 3.5%
    4.1%
  3. 03
    Spanish4,040 · 2.8%
    74.7%
  4. 04
    Hindi3,523 · 2.4%
    54.3%
  5. 05
    Vietnamese3,124 · 2.1%
    51.9%
  6. 06
    Indonesian2,672 · 1.8%
    8.6%
  7. 07
    Korean2,321 · 1.6%
    18.2%
  8. 08
    Thai1,861 · 1.3%
    22.7%
  9. 09
    Arabic1,698 · 1.2%
    0.4%
  10. 10
    Italian1,482 · 1.0%
    15.8%
  11. 11
    Japanese1,084 · 0.7%
    3.8%
  12. 12
    Tamil1,054 · 0.7%
    32.4%
Momentum

Fastest-growing languages

Top movers since the last census

#1
Language
Filipino
+157.6%
827 speakers · 0.6% of LGA
#2
Language
Spanish
+74.7%
4,040 speakers · 2.8% of LGA
#3
Language
Hindi
+54.3%
3,523 speakers · 2.4% of LGA
Use this data

Commission a gap report for Melbourne.

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