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 Cardinia (S), accounting for 77.1% (91,108 people). This share was higher than Greater Melbourne (61.1%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in English, which increased by 12,781 people, while its share fell by 6.1 percentage points.
Section overview
Language used at home - Ranked by size
Cardinia (S) - Total persons (Usual residence)
This table summarises language used at home for Cardinia (S) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Melbourne and change since 2016.
Language used at home - Ranked by size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Cardinia (S), with comparison markers for Greater Melbourne.
English
2021 count
91,108
% of total
77.1%
Change from 2016
-6.1pp
91,108
77.1%
-6.1pp
Not stated
2021 count
6,012
% of total
5.1%
Change from 2016
-0.5pp
6,012
5.1%
-0.5pp
Punjabi
2021 count
3,474
% of total
2.9%
Change from 2016
+2.0pp
3,474
2.9%
+2.0pp
Sinhalese
2021 count
2,071
% of total
1.8%
Change from 2016
+1.0pp
2,071
1.8%
+1.0pp
Hindi
2021 count
959
% of total
0.8%
Change from 2016
+0.4pp
959
0.8%
+0.4pp
Mandarin
2021 count
951
% of total
0.8%
Change from 2016
+0.4pp
951
0.8%
+0.4pp
Arabic
2021 count
771
% of total
0.7%
Change from 2016
+0.2pp
771
0.7%
+0.2pp
Urdu
2021 count
771
% of total
0.7%
Change from 2016
+0.5pp
771
0.7%
+0.5pp
Spanish
2021 count
692
% of total
0.6%
Change from 2016
+0.1pp
692
0.6%
+0.1pp
Tamil
2021 count
651
% of total
0.6%
Change from 2016
+0.4pp
651
0.6%
+0.4pp
Chart view
Language used at home - Ranked by size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
English
+12,781
-6.1pp
Not stated
+778
-0.5pp
Punjabi
+2,660
+2.0pp
Sinhalese
+1,320
+1.0pp
Hindi
+552
+0.4pp
Mandarin
+535
+0.4pp
Arabic
+282
+0.2pp
Urdu
+628
+0.5pp
Spanish
+241
+0.1pp
Tamil
+448
+0.4pp
Data table
Language used at home for Cardinia (S). Language used at home - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Melbourne.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Greater Melbourne% | Count | % | Greater Melbourne% | Count | pp | |
| English | 91,108 | 77.1% | 61.1% | 78,327 | 83.2% | 62.0% | +12,781 | -6.1pp |
| Not stated | 6,012 | 5.1% | 4.8% | 5,234 | 5.6% | 5.6% | +778 | -0.5pp |
| Punjabi | 3,474 | 2.9% | 2.0% | 814 | 0.9% | 1.2% | +2,660 | +2.0pp |
| Sinhalese | 2,071 | 1.8% | 1.0% | 751 | 0.8% | 0.8% | +1,320 | +1.0pp |
| Hindi | 959 | 0.8% | 1.3% | 407 | 0.4% | 1.1% | +552 | +0.4pp |
| Mandarin | 951 | 0.8% | 4.3% | 416 | 0.4% | 4.1% | +535 | +0.4pp |
| Arabic | 771 | 0.7% | 1.8% | 489 | 0.5% | 1.7% | +282 | +0.2pp |
| Urdu | 771 | 0.7% | 0.7% | 143 | 0.2% | 0.5% | +628 | +0.5pp |
| Spanish | 692 | 0.6% | 0.8% | 451 | 0.5% | 0.8% | +241 | +0.1pp |
| Tamil | 651 | 0.6% | 0.7% | 203 | 0.2% | 0.6% | +448 | +0.4pp |
| Total | 118,143 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 94,156 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +23,987 | 0.0pp |
Excludes languages spoken at home by fewer than 10 people.