ÐßÐßÊÓƵ

Immigration from Brazil to Australia has been ongoing from as early as 1871. However, there was a steady decline in the early 20th century. The Brazil-born population in Australia began to rise from mid 20th century onwards. This was largely prompted by the Australian government’s assisted migration program. In the last twenty or so years, the Brazil-born population in Australia has tripled and is set to rise in the coming decade.

At the beginning of the large wave of migration, many migrants were families. Today, there is a large number of young adults with university degrees moving to Australia. Moreover, most recent arrivals are well-educated, coming from middle to higher socio-economic backgrounds. Many recent migrants from Brazil have also arrived as students seeking to learn English in a temperate climate similar to their own.

According to the census of 2021, over half of the Brazil-born population in Australia identify as Catholic (42.7%) and the majority speak Brazilian Portuguese at home (80.8%).¹ Migrants from Brazil are allowed dual citizenship, which helps some of the Brazil-born population in Australia retain strong ties to their homeland. Moreover, various sporting and social clubs throughout Australia support the Brazil-born community.