Cultural diversity
Language spoken at home
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.
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 Litchfield (M), accounting for 79.2% (16,923 people). This share was higher than Greater Darwin (66.7%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in English, which decreased by 891 people, while its share rose by 4.4 percentage points.
Section overview
Language used at home - Ranked by size
Litchfield (M) - Total persons (Usual residence)
This table summarises language spoken at home for Litchfield (M) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Darwin and change since 2016.
Chart view
Language used at home - Ranked by size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Litchfield (M), with comparison markers for Greater Darwin.
English
Not stated
Vietnamese
Thai
Greek
Mandarin
German
Indonesian
Tagalog
Khmer
Language used at home - Ranked by size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
English
-891
+4.4pp
Not stated
-1,452
-4.5pp
Vietnamese
-79
-0.2pp
Thai
+49
+0.3pp
Greek
+12
+0.1pp
Mandarin
+17
+0.1pp
German
+3
+0.1pp
Indonesian
-23
-0.1pp
Tagalog
-49
-0.2pp
Khmer
-25
-0.1pp
Data table
Language spoken at home for Litchfield (M). Language used at home - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Darwin.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Greater Darwin% | Count | % | Greater Darwin% | Count | pp | |
| English | 16,923 | 79.2% | 66.7% | 17,814 | 74.8% | 67.9% | -891 | +4.4pp |
| Not stated | 3,177 | 14.9% | 9.8% | 4,629 | 19.4% | 11.8% | -1,452 | -4.5pp |
| Vietnamese | 143 | 0.7% | 0.9% | 222 | 0.9% | 0.7% | -79 | -0.2pp |
| Thai | 119 | 0.6% | 0.6% | 70 | 0.3% | 0.5% | +49 | +0.3pp |
| Greek | 97 | 0.5% | 2.3% | 85 | 0.4% | 2.3% | +12 | +0.1pp |
| Mandarin | 81 | 0.4% | 1.5% | 64 | 0.3% | 1.4% | +17 | +0.1pp |
| German | 75 | 0.4% | 0.3% | 72 | 0.3% | 0.4% | +3 | +0.1pp |
| Indonesian | 52 | 0.2% | 0.8% | 75 | 0.3% | 0.8% | -23 | -0.1pp |
| Tagalog | 38 | 0.2% | 1.8% | 87 | 0.4% | 1.9% | -49 | -0.2pp |
| Khmer | 36 | 0.2% | 0.1% | 61 | 0.3% | 0.2% | -25 | -0.1pp |
| Total | 21,360 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 23,809 | 100.0% | 100.0% | -2,449 | 0.0pp |
Excludes languages spoken at home by fewer than 10 people.