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FACT SHEET:
Muslim & Arab Australians in Victoria
1. Muslim Australians
- Total number of
Muslims in Australia: 281,578 - Total number of
Muslims in Queensland: 92, 742 - Proportion of
the Australian population who are Muslim: 1.5% - Proportion of
the Queensland population who are Muslim: 2.0%
*Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 2001
Census.
Figure 1:
Australian Muslim population by state and territory
Source:
ABS, 2001 Census. Basic Community Snapshots and Profiles.
Click here for text only version.
Table 1: Geographic
Distribution of Muslims in Australia, 2001
|
State/territory
|
Proportion
of all Australian Muslims |
Proportion
of total state or territory population |
| New South Wales |
50% | 2.2% |
| Victoria | 33% | 2.0% |
| Western Australia |
7% | 1.1% |
| Queensland | 5% | 0.4% |
| South Australia |
3% | 0.5% |
| Australian Capital Territory |
1% | 1.1% |
| Northern Territory |
0.3% | 0.5% |
| Tasmania | 0.3% | 0.2% |
Total |
100% |
1.5% |
Source:
ABS, 2001 Census.
Table 2: Distribution
of Australian Muslims by major statistical local areas in Melbourne statistical
division, 2001
| Statistical local area |
Number |
| Western Melbourne | 16,521 |
| Hume City | 15,739 |
| Moreland City | 9,403 |
| Greater Dandenong City |
8,667 |
| Northern Middle Melbourne |
6,927 |
| Northern Outer Melbourne |
5,884 |
| Eastern Middle Melbourne |
5,111 |
| South Eastern Outer Melbourne |
4,641 |
| Inner Melbourne | 4,633 |
| Southern Melbourne | 3,475 |
| Melton-Wyndham | 2,695 |
| Eastern Outer Melbourne |
1,819 |
| Boroondara City | 980 |
| Frankston City | 828 |
| Yarra Ranges Shire Part A |
278 |
| Mornington Peninsula Shire |
154 |
| Total for Melbourne Statistical Division |
87,755 |
*Source: ABS 2001
Census, Unpublished Data.
2. Arab &
Middle-Eastern Australians
- Total number of
Australians born in the Middle East or North Africa in Australia: 213,940
(1.1% of the national population) - Total number Australians
born in the Middle East or North Africa in Victoria: 60,326
(1.3% of the VIC state population)
*Source: Australian
Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 2001 Census.
Definitions
Defining who is an
‘Arab’ or exactly which countries lie within the Middle East
is a complex matter.
The Australian Bureau
of Statistics (ABS) defines the Middle East as: Bahrain,
Gaza Strip and West Bank (Palestine), Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait,
Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates,
Yemen. North Africa is defined as: Algeria, Egypt, Libya,
Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and the Western Sahara. ‘Arab’
includes: Algerian, Egyptian, Iraqi, Jordanian, Kuwaiti, Lebanese, Libyan,
Moroccan, Palestinian, Saudi Arabian, Syrian, Tunisian.
This summary uses
ABS definitions and highlights specific countries of origin for a significant
number of Australians. These countries are: Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, Iraq,
Iran, Syria and Israel. Other Middle Eastern, North African and Arab countries
with much smaller representation in Australian are grouped into two categories:
- ‘Other Middle
East’ (which includes Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Palestine,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen) - ‘Other North
Africa’ (which includes Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia,
Mauritania, Djibouti and Western Sahara)
Table 3: Main countries of
birth of Australians of Middle Eastern & North African origin, 2001
|
Country
of birth |
Number
|
| Lebanon | 71 349 |
| Egypt | 33 432 |
| Turkey | 29 821 |
| Iraq | 24 832 |
| Iran | 18 789 |
| Syria | 6 710 |
| Israel | 6 574 |
| Other Middle East |
13 212 |
| Other North Africa |
8 918 |
| Other not further defined |
303 |
Total |
213
|
Source: ABS, 2001
Census, Unpublished data.
Figure 2:
State & territory distribution of Australians born in the Middle East
& North Africa, 2001
Source: ABS, 2001
Census. Basic Community Profiles and Snapshots.
Click here for text only version.
Table 4: Australians born
in the Middle East or North Africa in major statistical areas of Melbourne,
2001
|
Statistical
Local Area |
Egypt
|
Iran
|
Iraq
|
Lebanon
|
Syria
|
Turkey
|
Other
Middle East |
Other
North Africa |
Total
|
| Hume (C) - Broadmeadows |
575
|
145
|
1803
|
1667
|
336
|
4429
|
139
|
56
|
9150
|
| Whittlesea (C) - South |
682
|
88
|
510
|
990
|
157
|
779
|
150
|
54
|
3410
|
| Moreland (C) - North |
361
|
28
|
807
|
941
|
99
|
879
|
84
|
48
|
3247
|
| Darebin (C) - Preston |
369
|
97
|
470
|
1145
|
113
|
223
|
131
|
93
|
2641
|
| Moreland (C) - Coburg |
277
|
56
|
156
|
1274
|
73
|
620
|
73
|
26
|
2555
|
| Manningham (C) - West |
551
|
521
|
47
|
478
|
74
|
224
|
244
|
125
|
2264
|
| Brimbank (C) - Keilor |
619
|
43
|
68
|
533
|
120
|
392
|
68
|
85
|
1928
|
| Hume (C) - Craigieburn |
154
|
63
|
355
|
254
|
56
|
835
|
47
|
11
|
1775
|
| Gr. Dandenong (C) - Dandenong |
281
|
51
|
204
|
477
|
48
|
401
|
134
|
88
|
1684
|
| Moreland (C) - Brunswick |
161
|
36
|
101
|
710
|
70
|
351
|
47
|
35
|
1511
|
| Kingston (C) - North |
390
|
17
|
107
|
211
|
33
|
512
|
81
|
33
|
1384
|
| Gr. Dandenong (C) Bal |
174
|
37
|
101
|
183
|
17
|
583
|
76
|
78
|
1249
|
| Casey (C) - Hallam |
286
|
26
|
70
|
292
|
63
|
357
|
140
|
12
|
1246
|
| Brimbank (C) - Sunshine |
382
|
15
|
34
|
256
|
33
|
364
|
36
|
108
|
1228
|
| Monash (C) - Waverley East |
348
|
82
|
58
|
127
|
28
|
269
|
90
|
35
|
1037
|
| Hobsons Bay (C) - Altona |
132
|
11
|
29
|
648
|
13
|
31
|
44
|
113
|
1021
|
| Moonee Valley (C) - Essendon |
206
|
41
|
46
|
156
|
23
|
182
|
49
|
186
|
889
|
| Maribyrnong (C) |
151
|
50
|
106
|
111
|
13
|
192
|
49
|
151
|
823
|
| Darebin (C) - Northcote |
137
|
27
|
50
|
409
|
22
|
45
|
21
|
34
|
745
|
| Moonee Valley (C) - West |
298
|
66
|
13
|
172
|
30
|
92
|
26
|
44
|
741
|
| Monash (C) - Waverley West |
285
|
84
|
10
|
77
|
19
|
111
|
60
|
44
|
690
|
| Banyule (C) - Heidelberg |
132
|
64
|
26
|
317
|
31
|
45
|
57
|
13
|
685
|
| Knox (C) - North |
187
|
132
|
18
|
100
|
18
|
61
|
135
|
29
|
680
|
| Knox (C) - South |
266
|
53
|
23
|
96
|
13
|
80
|
53
|
18
|
602
|
| Melbourne (C) - Remainder |
178
|
27
|
19
|
57
|
4
|
142
|
54
|
90
|
571
|
| Hobsons Bay (C) - Williamstown |
53
|
6
|
6
|
314
|
14
|
22
|
25
|
101
|
541
|
| Glen Eira (C) - Caulfield |
219
|
27
|
19
|
84
|
7
|
68
|
29
|
67
|
520
|
| Wyndham (C) - North |
125
|
28
|
6
|
154
|
11
|
69
|
47
|
70
|
510
|
| Glen Eira (C) - South |
187
|
16
|
11
|
123
|
15
|
62
|
53
|
29
|
496
|
| Monash (C) - South-West |
184
|
41
|
33
|
57
|
7
|
45
|
31
|
54
|
452
|
| Whitehorse (C) - Nunawading W. |
148
|
105
|
12
|
60
|
15
|
30
|
56
|
20
|
446
|
| Yarra (C) - North |
94
|
28
|
23
|
59
|
10
|
198
|
7
|
20
|
439
|
| Whitehorse (C) - Nunawading E. |
138
|
125
|
10
|
44
|
7
|
44
|
29
|
21
|
418
|
| Casey (C) - Cranbourne |
83
|
21
|
18
|
92
|
4
|
144
|
31
|
11
|
404
|
| Kingston (C) - South |
142
|
21
|
6
|
58
|
6
|
130
|
23
|
10
|
396
|
| Bayside (C) - South |
127
|
18
|
8
|
70
|
7
|
95
|
31
|
37
|
393
|
| Casey (C) - Berwick |
122
|
16
|
5
|
68
|
12
|
77
|
48
|
23
|
371
|
| Banyule (C) - North |
128
|
35
|
9
|
110
|
11
|
33
|
28
|
6
|
360
|
| Frankston (C) - West |
132
|
26
|
24
|
89
|
8
|
26
|
26
|
16
|
347
|
| Stonnington (C) - Prahran |
114
|
56
|
5
|
39
|
9
|
70
|
18
|
22
|
333
|
| Whitehorse (C) - Box Hill |
91
|
67
|
8
|
49
|
6
|
39
|
13
|
55
|
328
|
| Port Phillip (C) - St Kilda |
124
|
21
|
11
|
54
|
9
|
66
|
23
|
18
|
326
|
| Boroondara (C) - Camberwell N. |
95
|
85
|
0
|
52
|
6
|
41
|
19
|
9
|
307
|
| Port Phillip (C) - West |
100
|
11
|
13
|
35
|
3
|
71
|
10
|
24
|
267
|
| Yarra Ranges (S) - South-West |
61
|
36
|
8
|
74
|
6
|
33
|
29
|
14
|
261
|
| Stonnington (C) - Malvern |
110
|
19
|
5
|
27
|
4
|
49
|
24
|
10
|
248
|
| Boroondara (C) - Camberwell S. |
74
|
53
|
3
|
43
|
4
|
25
|
22
|
12
|
236
|
| Maroondah (C) - Ringwood |
50
|
70
|
34
|
22
|
5
|
17
|
14
|
18
|
230
|
| Melton (S) - East |
63
|
12
|
16
|
56
|
4
|
34
|
14
|
15
|
214
|
| Bayside (C) - Brighton |
80
|
23
|
6
|
34
|
6
|
19
|
27
|
12
|
207
|
| Melton (S) Bal |
93
|
6
|
6
|
19
|
9
|
42
|
13
|
18
|
206
|
| Boroondara (C) - Kew |
72
|
41
|
17
|
19
|
7
|
22
|
15
|
10
|
203
|
| Maroondah (C) - Croydon |
32
|
32
|
5
|
57
|
3
|
20
|
30
|
8
|
187
|
| Yarra (C) - Richmond |
57
|
14
|
0
|
16
|
3
|
81
|
4
|
7
|
182
|
| Boroondara (C) - Hawthorn |
41
|
22
|
6
|
16
|
6
|
16
|
21
|
12
|
140
|
| Nillumbik (S) - South-West |
60
|
7
|
0
|
29
|
6
|
18
|
9
|
8
|
137
|
| Mornington P'sula (S) - South |
74
|
3
|
0
|
10
|
0
|
9
|
11
|
7
|
114
|
| Mornington P'sula (S) - West |
49
|
10
|
0
|
20
|
0
|
12
|
12
|
5
|
108
|
| Nillumbik (S) - South |
31
|
22
|
3
|
23
|
0
|
3
|
6
|
6
|
94
|
| Frankston (C) - East |
15
|
3
|
4
|
28
|
4
|
17
|
17
|
0
|
88
|
| Hume (C) - Sunbury |
23
|
4
|
7
|
25
|
0
|
9
|
9
|
6
|
83
|
| Manningham (C) - East |
26
|
19
|
0
|
17
|
0
|
4
|
8
|
3
|
77
|
| Melbourne (C) - Inner |
15
|
7
|
0
|
8
|
3
|
10
|
19
|
3
|
65
|
| Whittlesea (C) - North |
18
|
0
|
0
|
20
|
0
|
13
|
14
|
0
|
65
|
| Wyndham (C) - West |
16
|
0
|
3
|
12
|
0
|
5
|
4
|
10
|
50
|
| Mornington P'sula (S) - East |
26
|
0
|
3
|
8
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
40
|
| Cardinia (S) - Pakenham |
6
|
8
|
3
|
8
|
3
|
5
|
0
|
3
|
36
|
| Melbourne (C) - S'bank-D'lands |
11
|
6
|
3
|
4
|
0
|
3
|
6
|
0
|
33
|
| Cardinia (S) - North |
9
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
7
|
3
|
4
|
26
|
| Wyndham (C) - South |
7
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
9
|
3
|
0
|
23
|
| Casey (C) - South |
0
|
0
|
0
|
7
|
0
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
16
|
| Yarra Ranges (S) - Central |
0
|
0
|
0
|
8
|
0
|
3
|
4
|
0
|
15
|
| Nillumbik (S) Bal |
3
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
4
|
14
|
| Yarra Ranges (S) - North |
3
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
3
|
12
|
| Cardinia (S) - South |
3
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
6
|
| Total for Melbourne SD |
11116
|
3030
|
5590
|
13916
|
1746
|
14020
|
2982
|
2426
|
54826
|
*Source: ABS, 2001
Census, Unpublished data
Race Discrimination
Unit, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, July 2003. ABS data
used with permission from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
