The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's
general notability guideline. (April 2023) |
Total population | |
---|---|
13,832 (by birth)
[1] 3,786 (by ancestry) [1] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Western Australia | 4,397 [1] |
Victoria | 2,850 [1] |
New South Wales | 2,764 [1] |
Queensland | 2,062 [1] |
Languages | |
English · Swahili · · Kalenjin · Gujarati · Kikuyu · Dinka · Luo · Languages of Kenya | |
Religion | |
Christianity · Islam · Hinduism · Other | |
Related ethnic groups | |
African Australians, Ugandan Australians, Tanzanian Australians, South Sudanese Australians, Ethiopian Australians, Somali Australians |
Kenyan Australians are Australian citizens and residents of Kenyan origin and descent. They may be of indigenous African, European, or Indian heritage. [2]
Uncertainties about the future of colonial-run Kenya prompted many Kenyan-born settlers of both European and Indian backgrounds to migrate to other countries, including Australia. There are also many Swahili-speaking Kenyans of indigenous African ancestry. [2] The majority of such migrants had no difficulty getting work and settling into the Australian community. [2]
The majority of Kenyan Australians are skilled and educated, with 72.5% of the Kenyan-born aged 15 years and over possessing higher non-school qualifications, compared to 55.9% of the Australian population. [2]
The 2016 Census noted there are 17,652 Kenya-born people in Australia. [3] [2] About one in five Australians who claim Kenyan ancestry live in Sydney. [4]
The languages most commonly spoken at home by Kenyan-born Australians are English and Swahili, however Kikuyu, Luo, Kalenjin, Gujarati, Dinka and other languages are not uncommon. [2] Kikuyu is a Kenyan language spoken by over one hundred Australians at home, and Luo is also spoken by about one hundred Australians. [5]
About 5,000 Kenyan-born Australians speak a language indigenous to Africa at home. [6] Some of the over 10,700 Australian-born who speak an African language may also speak a language of Kenya. [6]
The 74 languages the Special Broadcasting Service broadcasts in includes Swahili and Dinka, both languages spoken by many Kenyan-born Australians. [7]