Cultural diversity
Language used at home
About this topic
Language used at home shows which languages people speak in their home life and whether English or another language is used most often. It is a key indicator of cultural diversity and language retention within communities.
This topic is useful for planning communication, multicultural services, and local engagement. It should be analysed together with proficiency in English and birthplace, because language alone does not show migration history or support needs.
Interpretation notes
- The Census records the language used most often at home, so it does not capture every language a person can speak.
- Language used at home is not a measure of English proficiency, literacy, or migration history on its own.
Key insight
In 2021, English was the most common language used at home among residents in Tennyson (Qld), accounting for 83.6% (926 people). This share was higher than Brisbane (C) (71.6%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in English, which increased by 67 people, while its share fell by 1.8 percentage points.
Section overview
Language used at home - Ranked by size
Tennyson (Qld) - Total persons (Usual residence)
This table summarises language used at home for Tennyson (Qld) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Brisbane (C) and change since 2016.
Language used at home - Ranked by size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Tennyson (Qld), with comparison markers for Brisbane (C).
English
2021 count
926
% of total
83.6%
Change from 2016
-1.8pp
926
83.6%
-1.8pp
Not stated
2021 count
73
% of total
6.6%
Change from 2016
+1.0pp
73
6.6%
+1.0pp
Mandarin
2021 count
15
% of total
1.4%
Change from 2016
-0.2pp
15
1.4%
-0.2pp
Japanese
2021 count
14
% of total
1.3%
Change from 2016
+0.5pp
14
1.3%
+0.5pp
Vietnamese
2021 count
11
% of total
1.0%
Change from 2016
-0.4pp
11
1.0%
-0.4pp
Tagalog
2021 count
10
% of total
0.9%
Change from 2016
-
10
0.9%
-
Chart view
Language used at home - Ranked by size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
English
+67
-1.8pp
Not stated
+17
+1.0pp
Mandarin
-1
-0.2pp
Japanese
+6
+0.5pp
Vietnamese
-3
-0.4pp
Data table
Language used at home for Tennyson (Qld). Language used at home - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Brisbane (C).
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Brisbane (C)% | Count | % | Brisbane (C)% | Count | pp | |
| English | 926 | 83.6% | 71.6% | 859 | 85.4% | 71.8% | +67 | -1.8pp |
| Not stated | 73 | 6.6% | 4.4% | 56 | 5.6% | 5.8% | +17 | +1.0pp |
| Mandarin | 15 | 1.4% | 4.4% | 16 | 1.6% | 4.1% | -1 | -0.2pp |
| Japanese | 14 | 1.3% | 0.5% | 8 | 0.8% | 0.5% | +6 | +0.5pp |
| Vietnamese | 11 | 1.0% | 1.7% | 14 | 1.4% | 1.6% | -3 | -0.4pp |
| Tagalog | 10 | 0.9% | 0.5% | - | - | 0.5% | - | - |
| Total | 1,107 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 1,006 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +101 | 0.0pp |
Excludes languages spoken at home by fewer than 10 people.