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 Nickol, accounting for 73.7% (3,637 people). This share was higher than Karratha (C) (70.4%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in English, which increased by 3,595 people, while its share fell by 26.3 percentage points.
Section overview
Language used at home - Ranked by size
Nickol - Total persons (Usual residence)
This table summarises language used at home for Nickol in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Karratha (C) and change since 2016.
Language used at home - Ranked by size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Nickol, with comparison markers for Karratha (C).
English
2021 count
3,637
% of total
73.7%
Change from 2016
-26.3pp
3,637
73.7%
-26.3pp
Not stated
2021 count
734
% of total
14.9%
Change from 2016
-
734
14.9%
-
Afrikaans
2021 count
42
% of total
0.9%
Change from 2016
-
42
0.9%
-
Urdu
2021 count
37
% of total
0.7%
Change from 2016
-
37
0.7%
-
Hindi
2021 count
36
% of total
0.7%
Change from 2016
-
36
0.7%
-
Filipino
2021 count
36
% of total
0.7%
Change from 2016
-
36
0.7%
-
Tagalog
2021 count
32
% of total
0.6%
Change from 2016
-
32
0.6%
-
Thai
2021 count
23
% of total
0.5%
Change from 2016
-
23
0.5%
-
Mandarin
2021 count
19
% of total
0.4%
Change from 2016
-
19
0.4%
-
Maori (New Zealand)
2021 count
19
% of total
0.4%
Change from 2016
-
19
0.4%
-
Chart view
Language used at home - Ranked by size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
English
+3,595
-26.3pp
Data table
Language used at home for Nickol. Language used at home - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Karratha (C).
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Karratha (C)% | Count | % | Karratha (C)% | Count | pp | |
| English | 3,637 | 73.7% | 70.4% | 42 | 100.0% | 74.7% | +3,595 | -26.3pp |
| Not stated | 734 | 14.9% | 17.3% | - | - | 12.9% | - | - |
| Afrikaans | 42 | 0.9% | 0.5% | - | - | 0.6% | - | - |
| Urdu | 37 | 0.7% | 0.2% | - | - | 0.1% | - | - |
| Hindi | 36 | 0.7% | 0.4% | - | - | 0.4% | - | - |
| Filipino | 36 | 0.7% | 0.8% | - | - | 0.9% | - | - |
| Tagalog | 32 | 0.6% | 1.1% | - | - | 1.3% | - | - |
| Thai | 23 | 0.5% | 0.7% | - | - | 0.5% | - | - |
| Mandarin | 19 | 0.4% | 0.7% | - | - | 0.9% | - | - |
| Maori (New Zealand) | 19 | 0.4% | 0.3% | - | - | 0.3% | - | - |
| Total | 4,934 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 42 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +4,892 | 0.0pp |
Excludes languages spoken at home by fewer than 10 people.