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South African Australians

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South African Australians
Total population
144,666 (by ancestry, 2021)[1]
(0.6% of the Australian population)[1]
189,207 (by birth, 2021)[1]
Regions with significant populations
 New South Wales39,548
 Queensland35,226
 Western Australia33,310
 Victoria26,082
 South Australia6,288
Languages
Related ethnic groups
South African born population in Australia
YearPop.±%
1996 61,810—    
2001 86,820+40.5%
2006 119,490+37.6%
2011 161,590+35.2%
2016 180,480+11.7%
2020 200,240+10.9%
2022 206,730+3.2%
2023 214,790+3.9%
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[2][3][4][5]

South African Australians (Afrikaans: Suid-Afrikaanse Australiërs) are citizens or residents of Australia who are of South African descent.

According to the 2021 Australian census, 189,207 Australian residents were born in South Africa, making up 0.7% of the country's population. In addition, 144,666 people born in Australia claim South African ancestry, making up 0.6% of the total population. A strong majority of South African Australians are Australian citizens, with 76% possessing Australian citizenship. In the same 2021 census, 144,666 Australian residents claimed "South African" ancestry while another 6,153 stated their ancestry as "Afrikaner" and 501 as "Zulu".[6]

People with South African ancestry as a percentage of the population in Sydney divided geographically by postal area, 2011

Immigration from South Africa to Australia, particularly by professionals, accelerated in the 1990s. More than half of the South African Australians arrived following the election of Nelson Mandela in 1994.[7] A behaviour stigmatised by white South Africans who remained in their homeland as "Packing for Perth" ("PFP") was also a humorous dig and reference to supporters of the Progressive Federal Party – a political party formed in 1977 that drew support mainly from liberal English-speaking white people.[8] As per 2021 census, 60% of Australians who are born in South Africa, claimed English, Dutch, German and Scottish ancestry, while only 40% claimed "South African" as an ancestry.

The number of permanent settlers arriving in Australia from South Africa since 1991 (monthly)

Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Community profile 2021 abs.gov.au
  2. ^ Commonwealth Parliament, Canberra. "Population and migration statistics in Australia". www.aph.gov.au. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  3. ^ "Table 5.1 Estimated resident population, by country of birth(a), Australia, as at 30 June, 1996 to 2020(b)(c)". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  4. ^ "Table 1.1 Estimated resident population, by country of birth, Australia, as at 30 June, 1996 to 2022(a)(b)". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Table 5.1 Estimated resident population, by country of birth(a), Australia, as at 30 June, 1996 to 2023(b)(c)". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Cultural Diversity: Census". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  7. ^ The African migrants who fear a lower standard of living Sydney Morning Herald
  8. ^ Kaplan, David (3 October 2019). "Packing for Perth: Skills flight is a reality, and we must plan for it". The Daily Maverick. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  9. ^ Kembrey, Melanie (9 August 2018). "Sisonke Msimang interview: 'The dream of freedom was a sort of home for us'". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
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