Hume’s Indian population almost doubled between 2016 and 2021, new Census data reveals.
The 2021 Census recorded 16,083 people with Indian ancestry (6.6 per cent of respondents), making it the fifth most common ancestry in Hume. The Census also recorded 16,441 people (6.7 per cent) who were born in India.
Punjabi was revealed as one of the most common languages other than English spoken in Hume homes, with 12,653 people speaking the language in 2021.
In 2016, Indian was not one of the top five ancestries in Hume, while 8625 people (4.4 per cent) said they were born in India. Punjabi was not among the municipality’s top five languages other than English spoken at home.
The 2021 Census revealed that Hume had a higher proportion of Indian residents than the state and national average (4 per cent and 2.6 per cent respectively).
Craigieburn Sikh temple secretary Gurdeep Singh Matharoo said he has noticed an increase in Indian people migrating to the area.
“I see fresh faces everyday, a young generation is moving to Hume,” Mr Matharoo said.
“I’ve lived in Tullamarine since ’97 and I’ve seen the Indian population grow over the years.
“I would say anywhere between 12,000 to 15,000 people visit the temple, most of them are from the northern suburbs. I see people from Mickleham, Kalkallo, lots of places.
“This is a good place as well, where they can fulfil all their religious needs.”
The 2021 Census also painted a picture of the average Hume resident: A 34-year-old with one child, whose parents were born overseas.
The median weekly household income in Hume was revealed to be $1703, while median monthly mortgage repayments were $1806.
