In this edition of our ‘Getting to know you’ series, our Head of PR and Social Media Katrina Hall looks at Australia’s Muslim communities – and shares some data and insights about this audience ahead of Ramadan 2020.
Islam
With backgrounds ranging from Middle Eastern countries to south-east Asian countries, there are an estimated 1.8 billion Muslims in the world. That is roughly a quarter of the world’s population! It is among the world’s fastest growing faiths, with the number of followers predicted to rise to around 3 billion by 2060.
Australia’s closest neighbour, Indonesia, is the most populous Muslim-majority country in the world – a nation home to 12.7 per cent of the world’s Muslims, followed by Pakistan (11 per cent), and India (10.9 per cent). About one in five Muslims live in Arab countries.
Islam in Australia
According to the 2016 Australian Census, the number of people who identify as Muslim in Australia was over 600,000, or 2.6 per cent of the Australian population. This is an increase of over 15 per cent since the last Census.
Almost half of all Australian Muslims claim Lebanese or Turkish ancestry. Most of Australia’s Muslim community reside in Greater Sydney (42 per cent) or Greater Melbourne (31 per cent). Less than 1 per cent of Queenslanders are Muslim and there are even fewer in Tasmania.
Ramadan
The holy month of Ramadan is coming up very soon – beginning sometime around 23 April, depending on the sighting of the crescent moon. It is a month observed by Muslims around the world and is characterised by fasting, spiritual reflection, self-improvement and increased devotion and worship.
Like Christianity, there are many denominations of Islamic faith with the two most common being Sunni and Shia. The rich history of the Muslim world is complex, dating back more than 1400 years.
Although this year due to the health situation there are no festivals, there are normally many taking place in Sydney, Melbourne and around the country. They are typically attended by thousands. Some of the well-known festivals include the Australian Islamic Annual Eid Show, Blacktown Eid Festival, Liverpool (International) Eid Festival, Multicultural Eid Festival & Fair, Chand Raat Eid Festival and Eid Down Under. These festivals are normally a great opportunity for brands wanting to engage Australia’s Muslim community and create goodwill at a very special time in the Islamic calendar.
The Arabic Language
Many Muslims speak Arabic. Here are some quick stats about Arabic language in Australia.
• According to Census 2016, there are more than 320,000 Arabic speakers in Australia.
• Islam and Christianity are the top two religions followed by Australia’s Arabic speakers.
• Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt are the top three birth countries of Australia’s Arabic speakers.
• Around 72 per cent of Arabic speakers born in Australia are from Lebanese descent.
• Approximately forty per cent of Australia’s Arabic speakers were born in Australia.
• Sixty two percent of Arabic speakers reside in NSW.
Considering targeting Australia’s Arabic speaking and/or Muslim community in Australia for your next campaign?
Smart move! In 2013, the combined GDP of 49 majority Muslim countries was approximately $US 5.7 trillion and as of 2016, these 49 countries were responsible for 8 per cent of the world’s total GDP. This audience is well to do and highly targetable as communities tend to live in clustered suburbs. For further information on targeting this audience in your next campaign, contact MultiConnexions today.
Enjoyed this edition of our MultiConnexions Getting to know you series? Read some of our other editions by clicking the links below.