Kenyan Australians

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kenyan Australians
Total population
13,832 (by birth)[1]
3,786 (by ancestry)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Western Australia4,397[1]
Victoria2,850[1]
New South Wales2,764[1]
Queensland2,062[1]
Languages
English · Swahili ·  · Kalenjin · Gujarati · Kikuyu · Dinka · Luo · Languages of Kenya
Religion
Christianity · Islam · Hinduism · Other
Related ethnic groups
African Australians

Kenyan Australians are Australian citizens and residents of Kenyan origin and descent. They may be of indigenous African, European, or Indian heritage.[2]

Background[]

Uncertainties about the future of colonial-run Kenya prompted many Kenyan-born settlers of both European and Indian backgrounds to migrate to other countries, including Australia. There are also many Swahili-speaking Kenyans of indigenous African ancestry.[2] The majority of such migrants had no difficulty getting work and settling into the Australian community.[2]

The majority of Kenyan Australians are skilled and educated, with 72.5% of the Kenyan-born aged 15 years and over possessing higher non-school qualifications, compared to 55.9% of the Australian population.[2]

Population[]

The 2016 Census noted there are 17,652 Kenya-born people in Australia.[3][2] About one in five Australians who claim Kenyan ancestry live in Sydney.[4]

Languages[]

The languages most commonly spoken at home by Kenyan-born Australians are English and Swahili, however Kikuyu, Luo, Kalenjin, Gujurati, Dinka and other languages are not uncommon.[2] Kikuyu is a Kenyan language spoken by over one hundred Australians at home, and Luo is also spoken by about one hundred Australians.[5]

About 5,000 Kenyan-born Australians speak a language indigenous to Africa at home.[6] Some of the over 10,700 Australian-born who speak an African language may also speak a language of Kenya.[6]

The 74 languages the Special Broadcasting Service broadcasts in includes Swahili and Dinka, both languages spoken by many Kenyan-born Australians.[7]

Notable people[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "The Kenya-born Community: Historical Background (2011 census)". Australian Government, Department of Immigration and Border Protection. 19 November 2013. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Community Information Summary: Kenya-born (2011 census)" (PDF). Department of Immigration & Citizenship. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 February 2014.
  3. ^ "2016 QuickStats Country of Birth". quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  4. ^ 2006 Census
  5. ^ The People of Australia: Statistics from the 2011 Census (PDF). Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Immigration and Border Protection. 2014. ISBN 978-1-920996-23-9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2014.
  6. ^ a b "SBS Census Explorer". SBS Online. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  7. ^ "SBS unveils new Radio Schedule". SBS News. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
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