Indian Demographics in Victoria
As of 2011, the Indian community is the second fastest growing community in the state of Victoria. 2.1% of the Victorian population was born in India. 2.7% of the total Indian origins population resides within the suburbs of Melbourne.
The 2006 and 2011 census data shows that since 2006, the highest percentages of migratory individuals are those who are born in India. This is 13.1% of the total migratory population. The number of Indians in Australia has increased by 148,261 individuals since 2006.
The number of individuals who speak Indian Languages has been growing continuously since 2006. Hindi and Punjabi are amongst the top 20 languages spoken at home in Australia. 0.5% of the population speak Hindi, with 0.3% of the population speaking Punjabi. Indian Religion has also been increasing since the 2006 census. 1.3% of the population follows Hinduism, making it the fastest growing religion in Australia. The number of Hindu’s in Australia has increased from 148,130 to 275,534 individuals. 2.5% of the population follow Buddhism, with 2.2% following Islam and 0.3% of the population following Sikhism.
1.8% of the country has an Indian heritage, which can be seen through many aspects of the Australian culture. Indians have brought with them to Australia many aspects of our rich culture and heritage. Many Indians have contributed widely to business in Victoria with restaurants, textile shops, spice and grocery stores and many more small businesses.
The flavours of India have crept into Australia through Religion, fashion, food and culture. The vast number of Indian temples, established throughout Victoria has also brought about a number of cultural advances, the latest of which is the newly built cultural centre in Carrum Downs. “Little India” in Dandenong not only allows Indians living away from home to buy ethnic products that would generally not be available at normal shops, but also showcases all aspects of Indian life to the wider population. The Little India precinct is slowly growing from the 36 currently existing specialty stores that have come up steadily over the past 20 years.
Download complete FIAV Indian Demographic Report, 2012