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 Sunshine Coast (R), accounting for 88.8% (304,081 people). This share was higher than Regional Qld (83.7%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in English, which increased by 41,509 people, while its share fell by 0.4 percentage points.
Section overview
Language used at home - Ranked by size
Sunshine Coast (R) - Total persons (Usual residence)
This table summarises language used at home for Sunshine Coast (R) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional Qld and change since 2016.
Language used at home - Ranked by size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Sunshine Coast (R), with comparison markers for Regional Qld.
English
2021 count
304,081
% of total
88.8%
Change from 2016
-0.4pp
304,081
88.8%
-0.4pp
Not stated
2021 count
17,490
% of total
5.1%
Change from 2016
-0.7pp
17,490
5.1%
-0.7pp
German
2021 count
1,537
% of total
0.4%
Change from 2016
-0.1pp
1,537
0.4%
-0.1pp
Spanish
2021 count
1,173
% of total
0.3%
Change from 2016
+0.1pp
1,173
0.3%
+0.1pp
Mandarin
2021 count
1,107
% of total
0.3%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
1,107
0.3%
0.0pp
Afrikaans
2021 count
1,097
% of total
0.3%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
1,097
0.3%
0.0pp
Portuguese
2021 count
1,057
% of total
0.3%
Change from 2016
+0.2pp
1,057
0.3%
+0.2pp
French
2021 count
922
% of total
0.3%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
922
0.3%
0.0pp
Punjabi
2021 count
897
% of total
0.3%
Change from 2016
+0.2pp
897
0.3%
+0.2pp
Italian
2021 count
862
% of total
0.3%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
862
0.3%
0.0pp
Chart view
Language used at home - Ranked by size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
English
+41,509
-0.4pp
Not stated
+525
-0.7pp
German
-36
-0.1pp
Spanish
+518
+0.1pp
Mandarin
+328
0.0pp
Afrikaans
+276
0.0pp
Portuguese
+792
+0.2pp
French
+89
0.0pp
Punjabi
+497
+0.2pp
Italian
+72
0.0pp
Data table
Language used at home for Sunshine Coast (R). Language used at home - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional Qld.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Regional Qld% | Count | % | Regional Qld% | Count | pp | |
| English | 304,081 | 88.8% | 83.7% | 262,572 | 89.2% | 84.3% | +41,509 | -0.4pp |
| Not stated | 17,490 | 5.1% | 7.4% | 16,965 | 5.8% | 7.8% | +525 | -0.7pp |
| German | 1,537 | 0.4% | 0.3% | 1,573 | 0.5% | 0.4% | -36 | -0.1pp |
| Spanish | 1,173 | 0.3% | 0.4% | 655 | 0.2% | 0.3% | +518 | +0.1pp |
| Mandarin | 1,107 | 0.3% | 0.7% | 779 | 0.3% | 0.7% | +328 | 0.0pp |
| Afrikaans | 1,097 | 0.3% | 0.3% | 821 | 0.3% | 0.3% | +276 | 0.0pp |
| Portuguese | 1,057 | 0.3% | 0.3% | 265 | 0.1% | 0.2% | +792 | +0.2pp |
| French | 922 | 0.3% | 0.2% | 833 | 0.3% | 0.2% | +89 | 0.0pp |
| Punjabi | 897 | 0.3% | 0.3% | 400 | 0.1% | 0.2% | +497 | +0.2pp |
| Italian | 862 | 0.3% | 0.3% | 790 | 0.3% | 0.4% | +72 | 0.0pp |
| Total | 342,498 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 294,342 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +48,156 | 0.0pp |
Excludes languages spoken at home by fewer than 10 people.