Languages
The cards and the family guide in English and in the languages most used at home in Australia.
Why these languages
5.8 million people (22.8%) reported using a language other than English at home in the 2021 Census. The five most common were Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Punjabi, so those come first.
Source: ABS, Cultural diversity of Australia (2021 Census), released 20 September 2022 (opens another site)
Mandarin and Cantonese are spoken languages. The written cards use Simplified Chinese for Mandarin-speaking homes and Traditional Chinese for Cantonese-speaking homes, which is the usual pattern, but use whichever your family reads.
Mix languages if that is how your family talks. The questions work in any language.
Ask for a language
Would another language help your family, school or library? Tell us which one.
| Language | Spoken at home | People using it at home, 2021 Census | Cards and guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| English English | English | Available | |
| 简体中文 Simplified Chinese | Mandarin | 685,274 people (2.7%) | In preparation |
| العربية Arabic | Arabic | 367,159 people (1.4%) | In preparation |
| Tiếng Việt Vietnamese | Vietnamese | 320,758 people (1.3%) | In preparation |
| 繁體中文 Traditional Chinese | Cantonese | 295,281 people (1.2%) | In preparation |
| ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Punjabi (Gurmukhi) | Punjabi | 239,033 people (0.9%) | In preparation |
Census figures: ABS, Cultural diversity of Australia (2021 Census), released 20 September 2022 (opens another site).