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Who did we survey?

We surveyed more than 1200 Chinese-Australians at the end of 2022 to better understand their life in Australia, how they consume news and information, and how they view the wider world. The survey finds a diverse range of experiences and views across Chinese-Australian communities.

Key Finding
68%
of all Chinese-Australians live in Sydney or Melbourne

45% of Chinese-Australians were born in China, and 15% in Australia.

Mainland China

45%

Australia

15%

Hong Kong

12%

Malaysia

10%

Taiwan

5%

Around seven in ten Chinese-Australians migrated in the last two decades.

QUESTION  In what year did you first arrive in Australia to live here for one year or more?

  1. 1953
  2. 1960
  3. 1970
  4. 1980
  5. 1990
  6. 2000
  7. 2010
  8. 2021

Nearly eight in ten Chinese-Australians are Australian citizens or permanent residents.

QUESTION  Do you hold any of the following?

Australian citizenship 56Permanent residency 23Studying and trainingvisa 9Working and skilledvisa 5Family and partnervisa 5Other visa

The majority of Chinese-Australians live in urban areas, with the largest populations located in Sydney and Melbourne.

Greater Sydney 39% Greater Brisbane 9% Greater Adelaide 3% 621 539.5 Greater Melbourne 30% Greater Perth 7% A.C.T. 2% Hobart 1% Darwin 0.4% Rest of NSW 3% Rest of QLD 2%* Areas with less than 1% are not labelled

Chinese-Australians are on average younger than the broader Australian population.

QUESTION  How old are you?

  1. 0%
  2. 20%
  3. 40%
  4. 60%
  5. 80%
  6. 100%
Chinese-Australians
25
33
33
9
Australian population
18
29
23
30

A broad range of political views exists across Chinese-Australian communities.

QUESTION  Which one of the following political parties do you personally feel closest to?

  1. 0%
  2. 20%
  3. 40%
  4. 60%
  5. 80%
  6. 100%
Chinese-Australians
32
28
7
25
7
Australian population
29
26
13
22
5
4

Chinese-Australians are highly educated compared to Australians overall, with more than half holding a university degree.

QUESTION  What is the highest level of education you have completed?

  1. 0%
  2. 20%
  3. 40%
  4. 60%
  5. 80%
  6. 100%
Chinese-Australians
51
16
22
11
Australian population
26
38
22
12
Comparisons to the broader Australian population in this section are drawn from the 2022 Lowy Institute Poll, based on ABS population data.