German
157 speakers
German is spoken by 157 of our residents at home, 0.4% of Surf Coast.
We are Surf Coast
3 per cent.
3 in every 100 Surf Coast residents speak a language other than English at home. 1,201 people, in 56 languages — small enough to be overlooked, large enough to be a community.
- Our population
- 36,971
- Speak another language
- 1,201
- Languages at home
- 56
- Growth since last census
- +38.5%
Most of us speak English at home. 1,201 of us do not, across 56 languages, most often German, French and Spanish. Small communities are the ones a mainstream service misses first and notices last — which is the whole reason to count them.
In Victoria
#56
of 79 Victoria councils for the share of residents speaking a language other than English at home. #338 of 540 nationally.
What makes our community ours
French
136 speakers
French is spoken by 136 of our residents at home, 0.4% of Surf Coast.
Spanish
120 speakers
Spanish is spoken by 120 of our residents at home, 0.3% of Surf Coast.
The languages of Surf Coast
56 languages carry the conversation at home. Every one of them is spoken here.
Each block below is scaled to the number of people who speak that language at home, and tinted by how fast that community has grown since the last census.
- Grew 50%+
- 25%+
- 10%+
- Held
- Slipped
- Declined 10%+
- Not comparable
Every language, in order
Speakers at the 2021 Census, with the change since 2016. Broader ABS categories such as “Chinese, nfd” are counted in our totals but left out of this list, so the percentages can exceed the sum of the languages shown.
Why we publish this
3.2% of us
We share this portrait because a council below the Victoria average is the one most likely to be planned for as though everybody here reads English. 1,201 of us do not, at home, and a service that reaches everyone except them has not reached everyone. This almanac exists so that the number is on the record before the decision is made.
Who we are, beyond language
Where we were born
10.0% of us were born overseas, across 62 countries.
- 01England1,336+21.0%
- 02New Zealand468+41.0%
- 03Germany215+33.5%
- 04Scotland193+21.4%
- 05South Africa180+59.3%
- 06United States of America177+45.1%
- 07Netherlands129+37.2%
- 08Ireland111+76.2%
- 09Italy109+39.7%
- 10Canada95+37.7%
What we believe
Reported affiliation in Surf Coast at the 2021 Census, with the change since 2016.
- 01No religion or secular beliefs19,978+61.1%
- 02Christianity14,198+4.7%
- 03Buddhism242+26.0%
- 04Hinduism56+75.0%
- 05Islam49+96.0%
- 06Judaism45+350%
Our suburbs
Our linguistic character changes street by street. Click through to any of our 20 suburbs for its own portrait: the languages spoken there, the communities calling it home.
- Lorne (Vic.)Top language — Greek9%141
- Bells BeachTop language — Polish8%13
- Deans MarshTop language — German5%26
- GnarwarreTop language — Greek5%17
- Torquay (Vic.)Top language — German4%683
- BellbraeTop language — German3%41
- GherangTop language — French3%11
- Jan JucTop language — French3%111
- AngleseaTop language — Spanish2%76
- Aireys InletTop language — German2%19
- BambraTop language — Vietnamese2%6
- BarraboolTop language — Italian2%4
- FairhavenTop language — German1%7
- WinchelseaTop language — Hindi1%32
- MoriacTop language — German1%8
- BuckleyTop language — French1%6
- Freshwater Creek0%0
- Paraparap0%0
- Ombersley0%0
- Mount Moriac0%0
- 20 suburbs in Surf Coast. Percentage is residents speaking a language other than English at home; the figure beneath it is how many people that is.
Where we are
Surf Coast shaded by the share of residents speaking a language other than English at home. Boundaries are ABS ASGS 2021. See every council on one map.
In context
- Surf Coast
- 3.2%
- Victoria
- 26.6%
- Australia
- 21.3%
3.2% of Surf Coast residents speak a language other than English at home, against 26.6% for Victoria and 21.3% nationally. Drawn from the 2021 Census.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021, language used at home by Statistical Area Level 2, aggregated to Local Government Area. Growth compares 2021 against the 2016 Census.
How the headline share is counted. 3.2% is 1,201 residents as a share of all 36,971 of us. A further 1,947 did not state a language at all, and we do not count them as speaking one — counting every non-response as a non-English speaker would put this figure at 8.5%, which is a larger number and a weaker claim. Measured only across the residents who answered, the share is 3.4%. If you have seen a higher figure quoted for Surf Coast, it is almost certainly one of those two.
Two further caveats we would rather state than bury. Summing suburbs omits residents not allocated to one — no usual address, migratory and unincorporated areas — so national totals sit a little under the ABS published figures; the Surf Coast figures on this page are unaffected. And ranked language lists exclude ABS residual categories such as “Chinese, nfd”, which are not languages anyone can order a translation in; they remain inside the headline total.
Need this community reached in its own languages? Talk to us about translation in Surf Coast.