Pakistani Australians

Pakistani Australians
Total population
61,913 (2016 census)[1]
Regions with significant populations
 New South Wales 24,542[2]
 Victoria 21,125[2]
 Western Australia 5,437[2]
 Queensland 4,675[2]
 South Australia 3,445[2]
 Australian Capital Territory 1,996[2]
 Northern Territory 354[2]
 Tasmania 347[2]
Languages
Australian and Pakistani English · Urdu · Punjabi · Sindhi · Pashto · Balochi · others
Religion
Islam · Christianity · Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
Overseas Pakistani · Indian Australians

Pakistani Australians are Australians who are of Pakistani descent or heritage. Most Pakistani Australians are Muslims by religion,[3] although there are also sizeable Christian, Hindu and other minorities.[4]

History in Australia

Immigration to Australia from Pakistan mostly occurred in the 1970s, however Pakistani migrants can be dated back to the early 1950s. Early Muslim migrants (known as "Ghans") entered Australia as camel drivers in the late 1800s from areas which are now part of modern-day Pakistan.[4] Since then the number of Pakistani immigrants increased dramatically, with thousands of Pakistanis entering Australia each year since that time.

Demographics

Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics for 2011 indicated that there were about 33,049 Pakistani Australians, of whom 30,221 were born in Pakistan.[5][6] By mid-2014, the number of Pakistani-born individuals stood at 49,770.[7] At the time of the 2016 census, the total population reached 61,913 individuals.[1] The Pakistani community is the second fastest-growing in terms of population growth.[1] Pakistanis are also the largest contributor of overseas-born Muslims in Australia, at 14.7 percent.[3] Urdu is one of the most common languages in Pakistani households,[2] and Sydney has the largest Pakistani community in Oceania.[2] According to the 2006 Census in Victoria, there were an estimated 4,703 Pakistani born persons, with the majority living in Melbourne. The number has since tripled from the previous census which was in 1996. Those living in Victoria that are Pakistani-born are highly educated with more than a third working in professional positions and about half working in 'clerical, production, service, transport and sales positions'.[4]

In 2012, 7,400 Pakistani international students were studying in Australia, an increase from close to 5,000 in 2007. Under the Australia-Pakistan Scholarship Program, 500 scholarships were available to Pakistani students from 2005 to 2010 to facilitate postgraduate studies in Australia. Australia has become one of the largest markets for Pakistani students outside the United States and United Kingdom.[8]

Around 1,000 Pakistanis live in the federal capital, Canberra.[9]

Education and qualifications

Pakistani Australians tend to be urban, well-educated, and professional.[7][10] Most of them migrate from large cities like Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad and Peshawar, and tend to be familiar with Western culture and ways of living. According to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, around 50 percent of Pakistani-born Australians hold an undergraduate degree or higher qualification, compared to the national average of 20 percent.[10] Similarly, 52 percent of Pakistanis fall within the age bracket of 25 to 44 years. Occupationally, 29 percent of Pakistanis are employed as professionals, 10 percent are in managerial roles, 12 percent are involved in clerical and administration roles, another 12 percent are involved in community work and personal services, nine percent are sales workers, while 13 percent are drivers/machine operators, 8 percent are labourers and 7 percent are tradespeople.[10]

Notable people

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Nabi, Zain (27 June 2017). "Number of Australians born in Pakistan doubles". SBS News. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Nabi, Zain (28 June 2017). "Most Pakistanis and Urdu speakers live in this Australian state". SBS News. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  3. 1 2 Nabi, Zain (27 June 2017). "Islam most common religion in Australia after Christianity". SBS News. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 "History of immigration from Pakistan". Museum Victoria Australia. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  5. ↑ "The People of Australia: Statistics from the 2011 Census (National)" (PDF). Australian Government Department of Immigration. 2014. ISBN 978-1-920996-23-9. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  6. ↑ "3412.0 - Migration, Australia, 2009-10: Australia-Born and Overseas-Born". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 16 June 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  7. 1 2 "Country profile – Pakistan". Department of Immigration and Border Protection (Australian Government). 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  8. ↑ "Pakistan country brief". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Australian Government. November 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  9. ↑ "Pakistani petrol attendant stabbed to death in Australia". Dawn. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 Ali, Saleem (17 October 2013). "Australia and Pakistan: A Neglected Relationship?". National Geographic Voices. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
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