Diversity in Australia

Australia has a diverse population. In acknowledging Aboriginal peoples as the first peoples of this country, we also acknowledge the many people who identify with more than 270 ancestries and who now call Australia home^[i]. We also acknowledge the wider diversity of our community, including the many people in Australia who live with disability.

In 2018 there were 4.4 million Australians living with disability, 17.7 per cent of the population^[ii], (1 in 5 people).
4.4 per cent of people with a disability in Australia use a wheelchair^[iii].
17.1 per cent of people with disability use mobility aids.
The likelihood of living with disability increases with age. One quarter (26.9 per cent) of people aged 60 to 64 years are living with disability. Over eight in ten people aged 90 and over (84.6 per cent) have a disability^[iv].
Disability discrimination accounts for the highest volume of complaints across the board to the Australian Human Rights Commission^[v].
3 million Australians live with depression or anxiety^[vi].

Vision Australia estimates there are now over 350,000 people who are blind or have low vision. About 17 per cent of Australians are affected by hearing loss. There are approximately 30,000 deaf Auslan users with total hearing loss.

References

[i] Face the facts: Cultural Diversity (Australian Human Rights Commission)

[ii] Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings, 2018 (Australian Bureau of Statistics)

[iii] Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings, 2015 (Australian Bureau of Statistics - 4430.0)

[iv] Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings, 2018 (Australian Bureau of Statistics)

[v] Complaint statistics 2018–19 (Australian Human Rights Commission) PDF 513 KB

[vi] National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: Summary of Results 2008 (Australian Bureau of Statistics - 4326.0)