European Australians
European Australians are citizens or residents of Australia whose ancestry originates from the peoples of Europe. They form the largest panethnic group in the country. At the 2021 census, the number of ancestry responses categorised within European ancestral groups as a proportion of the total population amounted to more than 57.2% (46% North-West European and 11.2% Southern and Eastern European). It is impossible to quantify the precise proportion of the population with European ancestry. For instance, many census recipients nominated two European ancestries, tending towards an overcount. Conversely, 29.9% of census recipients nominated "Australian" ancestry (categorised within the Oceanian ancestry group, although most of them are likely to be of Anglo-Celtic or European ancestry), tending towards an undercount.
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| More than 57.2% of the population (2021 census) English Australians: 8,385,928 Irish Australians: 2,410,833 Scottish Australians: 2,176,777 Italian Australians: 1,108,364 German Australians: 1,026,138 Greek Australians: 424,744 Dutch Australians: 381,948 Turkish Australians: 326,411 Polish Australians: 209,281 Maltese Australians: 198,989 Croatian Australians: 164,362 Welsh Australians: 156,108 French Australians: 148,927 Spanish Australians: 128,693 Macedonian Australians: 111,352 Serbian Australians: 94,997 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| All states and territories of Australia | |
| Languages | |
| Predominantly Australian English Italian • German • Greek • Dutch • Turkish • Other European languages | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Christianity, Irreligion, Atheism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Anglo-Celtic Australians, European New Zealanders, European Americans, European Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Ulster-Scots, Irish, European diaspora |
Since the early 19th century, people of European descent have formed the majority of the population in Australia. Historically, European immigrants had great influence over Australian culture and society, which results in the perception of Australia as a European-derived country.
The majority of European Australians are of British Isles – English, Irish, Scottish, or Welsh – ancestral origin. While not an official ancestral classification, they are often referred to as Anglo-Celtic Australians. Other significant ancestries include Italian, German, Greek, Dutch, European New Zealanders, Polish, Maltese, and Scandinavian.