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TOPIC 3 / 8

Belonging & community

To understand Chinese-Australians' perspective and their place in the community, we asked about their sense of belonging and experiences of discrimination.

Key Finding
75%
of Chinese-Australians have a great or moderate sense of belonging to Australia

Six in ten identify as Chinese-Australian or Australian-Chinese.

QUESTION  Overall, do you think yourself as:

Australian 5Chinese 32Australian-Chinese 18Chinese-Australian 41None of the above 3

In 2022, three-quarters of Chinese-Australians feel a sense of belonging to Australia.

QUESTION  To what extent do you have a sense of belonging to Australia?

  1. 100%
  2. 80%
  3. 60%
  4. 40%
  5. 20%
  6. 0%
  7. 20%
  8. 40%
  9. 60%
  10. 80%
  11. 100%
Australian population
2020
7
31
61
2021
7
34
58
2022
10
35
52
Chinese-Australians
2020
26
45
26
2021
31
47
17
2022
22
53
22

Data for the broader Australian population is from the Scanlon Foundation Mapping Social Cohesion 2022 report.

Chinese-Australians’ sense of belonging to their local community increased in 2022, but attachment to China declined.

QUESTION  To what extent do you have a sense of belonging to…?

  1. 100%
  2. 80%
  3. 60%
  4. 40%
  5. 20%
  6. 0%
  7. 20%
  8. 40%
  9. 60%
  10. 80%
  11. 100%
Australia
2020
26
45
26
2021
31
47
17
2022
22
53
22
Your local community
2020
6
24
46
23
2021
6
33
45
16
2022
30
47
20
The Chinese people
2020
8
25
39
29
2021
6
25
37
32
2022
9
26
44
22
China
2020
10
25
42
23
2021
11
27
38
24
2022
16
27
38
18

Fewer Chinese-Australians in 2022 have been called offensive names or been physically threatened or attacked because of their heritage.

QUESTION  For each of the following, please indicate if you have or have not personally experienced it in the last 12 months in Australia.

  1. 0%
  2. 20%
  3. 40%
  4. 60%
  5. 80%
  6. 100%
People have treated you differently or less favourably because you are of Chinese heritage
2020
37
63
2021
34
66
2022
35
65
Someone expressed support for you because you are of Chinese heritage
2020
40
60
2021
33
67
2022
33
67
You have been called offensive names because you are of Chinese heritage
2020
31
69
2021
25
75
2022
21
79
You have been physically threatened or attacked because you are of Chinese heritage
2020
18
82
2021
18
82
2022
14
86

To obtain greater detail of Chinese-Australians’ experiences of discrimination, we look at age and country of birth as factors. Younger Chinese-Australians and those born in Australia are more likely to report an experience of discrimination.

QUESTION  For each of the following, please indicate if you have or have not personally experienced it in the last 12 months in Australia?

  1. 0%
  2. 20%
  3. 40%
  4. 60%
  5. 80%
  6. 100%
People have treated you differently or less favourably because you are of Chinese heritage?
Age 18-29
38
Age 30-44
38
Age 45-59
33
Age 60+
26
COB Australia
38
COB China/HK/Macau
35
Someone expressed support for you because you are of Chinese heritage
Age 18-29
36
Age 30-44
33
Age 45-59
32
Age 60+
26
COB Australia
38
COB China/HK/Macau
32
You have been called offensive names because you are of Chinese heritage
Age 18-29
28
Age 30-44
21
Age 45-59
16
Age 60+
23
COB Australia
30
COB China/HK/Macau
19
You have been physically threatened or attacked because you are of Chinese heritage
Age 18-29
16
Age 30-44
15
Age 45-59
13
Age 60+
11
COB Australia
20
COB China/HK/Macau
14