SourceTargetCommunity Atlas
Local Government Area · New South Wales

Sydney

206,329 residents · 116+ languages recorded at suburb level.

CALD share
40.5%
83,648 people
Growth since last census
+0.8%
vs previous census
In context
1.29× New South Wales avg
1.50× national avg
Population
206,329
CALD residents
83,648
Languages spoken
116
Fastest-growing
+42%
Narrative

Why this matters

Sydney is home to 206,329 residents. 40.5% of them speak a language other than English at home. That's 83,648 people whose daily linguistic reality shapes how services, communications and campaigns actually reach them.

This briefing pulls the full ABS Census 2021 picture for Sydney 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
    Mandarin18,181 · 8.8%
    ▼11.6%
  2. 02
    Cantonese6,042 · 2.9%
    ▼0.4%
  3. 03
    Thai5,812 · 2.8%
    ▼11.5%
  4. 04
    Spanish5,048 · 2.4%
    ▲42.1%
  5. 05
    Indonesian4,323 · 2.1%
    ▼3.2%
  6. 06
    Vietnamese2,376 · 1.2%
    ▲9.8%
  1. 01
    Portuguese2,135 · 1.0%
    ▲26.1%
  2. 02
    Korean2,102 · 1.0%
    ▼33.5%
  3. 03
    French2,005 · 1.0%
    ▼20.2%
  4. 04
    Italian1,852 · 0.9%
    ▼15.2%
  5. 05
    Russian1,798 · 0.9%
    ▼0.7%
  6. 06
    Greek1,699 · 0.8%
    ▼9.4%
Composition

Everyone at home

ENGLISH · 59%
MAN
OTHER
ENGLISH ONLY 59.5%  ·  OTHER LANGUAGES 40.5%
Mandarin
18,181 · -11.6%
Cantonese
6,042 · -0.4%
Thai
5,812 · -11.5%
Spanish
5,048 · +42.1%
Indonesian
4,323 · -3.2%
Vietnamese
2,376 · +9.8%
Portuguese
2,135 · +26.1%
Korean
2,102 · -33.5%
French
2,005 · -20.2%
Italian
1,852 · -15.2%
Russian
1,798 · -0.7%
Greek
1,699 · -9.4%
Japanese
1,508 · -11.1%
Hindi
1,481 · +31.6%
Arabic
1,336 · +2.3%
SIZE = SPEAKERS  ·  TINT = GROWTH SINCE LAST CENSUS
  1. 01
    Mandarin18,181 · 8.8%
    ▼11.6%
  2. 02
    Cantonese6,042 · 2.9%
    ▼0.4%
  3. 03
    Thai5,812 · 2.8%
    ▼11.5%
  4. 04
    Spanish5,048 · 2.4%
    ▲42.1%
  5. 05
    Indonesian4,323 · 2.1%
    ▼3.2%
  6. 06
    Vietnamese2,376 · 1.2%
    ▲9.8%
  7. 07
    Portuguese2,135 · 1.0%
    ▲26.1%
  8. 08
    Korean2,102 · 1.0%
    ▼33.5%
  9. 09
    French2,005 · 1.0%
    ▼20.2%
  10. 10
    Italian1,852 · 0.9%
    ▼15.2%
  11. 11
    Russian1,798 · 0.9%
    ▼0.7%
  12. 12
    Greek1,699 · 0.8%
    ▼9.4%
Momentum

Fastest-growing languages

Top movers since the last census

#1
Language
Spanish
+42.1%
5,048 speakers · 2.4% of LGA
#2
Language
Hindi
+31.6%
1,481 speakers · 0.7% of LGA
#3
Language
Portuguese
+26.1%
2,135 speakers · 1.0% of LGA
Sub-regions

Suburb-level data

Click a suburb to drill down to SAL-level figures

Haymarket
8,161 RESIDENTS
81.5% CALDTop: Mandarin
Sydney
16,283 RESIDENTS
67.8% CALDTop: Mandarin
Ultimo
7,185 RESIDENTS
64.5% CALDTop: Mandarin
Chippendale
7,610 RESIDENTS
59.8% CALDTop: Mandarin
Zetland
12,371 RESIDENTS
53.9% CALDTop: Mandarin
Barangaroo
270 RESIDENTS
50.0% CALDTop: Mandarin
Rosebery (NSW)
13,252 RESIDENTS
49.0% CALDTop: Mandarin
Waterloo (NSW)
15,915 RESIDENTS
46.7% CALDTop: Mandarin
Pyrmont
12,303 RESIDENTS
46.1% CALDTop: Mandarin
Moore Park
23 RESIDENTS
43.5% CALDTop: Thai
Eveleigh
608 RESIDENTS
40.0% CALDTop: Vietnamese
Darlington (Sydney - NSW)
2,521 RESIDENTS
34.5% CALDTop: Mandarin
Use this data

Commission a gap report for Sydney.

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