SourceTargetCommunity Atlas
Local Government Area · Queensland

Torres Strait Island

4,101 residents · 5+ languages recorded at suburb level.

CALD share
93.4%
3,830 people
Growth since last census
+9.5%
vs previous census
In context
5.92× Queensland avg
3.43× national avg
Population
4,101
CALD residents
3,830
Languages spoken
5
Fastest-growing
+25%
Narrative

Why this matters

Torres Strait Island is home to 4,101 residents. 93.4% of them speak a language other than English at home. That's 3,830 people whose daily linguistic reality shapes how services, communications and campaigns actually reach them.

This briefing pulls the full ABS Census 2021 picture for Torres Strait Island 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
    Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)2,917 · 71.1%
    ▲15.2%
  2. 02
    Kalaw Kawaw Ya/Kalaw Lagaw Ya380 · 9.3%
    ▼25.3%
  3. 03
    Meriam Mir55 · 1.3%
    ▼54.5%
  4. 04
    Aboriginal English, so described18 · 0.4%
    ▲0.0%
  5. 05
    Kriol5 · 0.1%
    ▲25.0%
    Composition

    Everyone at home

    ENGLISH · 7%
    YUM
    KAL
    OTHER
    ENGLISH ONLY 6.6%  ·  OTHER LANGUAGES 93.4%
    Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)
    2,917 · +15.2%
    Kalaw Kawaw Ya/Kalaw Lagaw Ya
    380 · -25.3%
    Meriam Mir
    Aboriginal English, so described
    Kriol
    SIZE = SPEAKERS  ·  TINT = GROWTH SINCE LAST CENSUS
    1. 01
      Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)2,917 · 71.1%
      ▲15.2%
    2. 02
      Kalaw Kawaw Ya/Kalaw Lagaw Ya380 · 9.3%
      ▼25.3%
    3. 03
      Meriam Mir55 · 1.3%
      ▼54.5%
    4. 04
      Aboriginal English, so described18 · 0.4%
      ▲0.0%
    5. 05
      Kriol5 · 0.1%
      ▲25.0%
    Momentum

    Fastest-growing languages

    Top movers since the last census

    #1
    Language
    Kriol
    +25.0%
    5 speakers · 0.1% of LGA
    #2
    Language
    Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)
    +15.2%
    2,917 speakers · 71.1% of LGA
    #3
    Language
    Aboriginal English, so described
    0.0%
    18 speakers · 0.4% of LGA
    Sub-regions

    Suburb-level data

    Click a suburb to drill down to SAL-level figures

    Ugar Island
    65 RESIDENTS
    100.0% CALDTop: Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)
    Warraber Islet
    276 RESIDENTS
    97.8% CALDTop: Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)
    Poruma Island
    160 RESIDENTS
    96.9% CALDTop: Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)
    Iama Island
    265 RESIDENTS
    96.2% CALDTop: Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)
    Mabuiag Island
    246 RESIDENTS
    95.1% CALDTop: Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)
    Masig Island
    273 RESIDENTS
    94.9% CALDTop: Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)
    Keriri Island
    265 RESIDENTS
    94.3% CALDTop: Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)
    Saibai Island
    349 RESIDENTS
    93.7% CALDTop: Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)
    Dowar Islet
    399 RESIDENTS
    93.5% CALDTop: Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)
    Erub Island
    328 RESIDENTS
    93.0% CALDTop: Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)
    Boigu Island
    199 RESIDENTS
    93.0% CALDTop: Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)
    Badu Island
    699 RESIDENTS
    91.4% CALDTop: Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole)
    Use this data

    Commission a gap report for Torres Strait Island.

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