Population Statistics
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Timor-Leste
Population 1
| 1,340,434 |
|---|
| (2022 est.) |
Language 2
| Tetum Prasa | 30.6% |
|---|---|
| Mambai | 16.6% |
| Makasai | 10.5% |
| Tetum Terik | 6.1% |
| Baikenu | 5.9% |
| Kemak | 5.8% |
| Bunak | 5.5% |
| Tokodede | 4.0% |
| Fataluku | 3.5% |
| Waima'a | 1.8% |
| Galoli | 1.4% |
| Naueti | 1.4% |
| Idate | 1.2% |
| Midiki | 1.2% |
| Other | 4.5% |
| (2015 est.) |
Data represents population by mother tongue. Tetum and Portuguese are official languages, while Indonesian and English are working languages. There are approximately 32 indigenous languages.
Religion 2
| Roman Catholic | 97.6% |
|---|---|
| Protestant (including Evangelical) | 2.0% |
| Islam | 0.2% |
| Other | 0.2% |
| (2015 est.) |
Ethnicity 2
Austronesian/Malayo-Polynesian (includes Tetum, Mambai, Tokodede, Galoli, Kemak, Baikeno)Melanesian-Papuan (includes Bunak, Fataluku, Bakasai)Chinese
East Timorese in Australia
These demographic statistics pertain to individuals in Australia who were born in Timor-Leste, as reported in the 2021 Australian Housing and Population Census. The data specifically represents responses from first-generation migrants and does not encompass the total number of people in Australia who may identify as East Timorese.
Population 3
9,761
Citizenship
| Australian citizen | 90.1% |
|---|---|
| Not an Australian citizen | 9.3% |
Median Age
54
Gender
| Male | 49.8% |
|---|---|
| Female | 50.2% |
Religion
| Catholic | 54.6% |
|---|---|
| No Religion | 21.4% |
| Buddhism | 13.4% |
| Other Christianity | 6.7% |
| Taoism | 0.9% |
| Other Religion | 0.7% |
| Not Stated | 2.3% |
Ancestry
| Chinese | 58.1% |
|---|---|
| Timorese | 52.1% |
| Portuguese | 12.5% |
| English | 1.1% |
| Indonesian | 1.0% |
These are the top ancestry responses of people born in Timor-Leste. Respondents were able to provide up to two answers. Therefore, the sum of all ancestry responses exceeds the total number of people.
Language Spoken at Home
| Hakka | 41.7% |
|---|---|
| English | 15.1% |
| Tetum | 12.0% |
| Portuguese | 10.7% |
| Mandarin | 7.6% |
| Timorese | 4.3% |
| Other Languages | 6.5% |
Of those who speak a language other than English at home, 67.2% speak English fluently.
Diaspora
| Victoria | 52.9% |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | 21.9% |
| Northern Territory | 10.7% |
| Queensland | 6.7% |
| Other | 7.6% |
Arrival to Australia
| Prior to 1991 | 60.3% |
|---|---|
| 1991 - 2000 | 25.6% |
| 2001 - 2010 | 3.7% |
| 2011 - 2015 | 1.4% |
| 2016 - 2021 | 6.3% |
Australians with Timorese Ancestry
11,105
This figure represents the total number of people in Australia who reported Timorese ancestry in the 2021 Census, including individuals born in Australia, Timor-Leste, and other countries. It captures the responses of first-, second-, and third-generation migrants who may identify as Timorese, regardless of their place of birth.4