Editing Christmas Island (section)

==Demographics==
[[File:Christmas Island Population Pyramid-2011.png|thumb|upright=1.95|Christmas Island's population pyramid, from a census in 2011, showing a large proportion of males over females.]]

{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Ancestry of Christmas Island (2021)<ref name="Census2021" />
|label1 = [[Chinese people|Chinese ancestry]]
|value1 = 22.2
|color1 = blue
|label2 = [[Australians|Australian ancestry]]
|value2 = 17
|color2 = Red
|label3 = [[Malays (ethnic group)|Malay ancestry]]
|value3 = 16.1
|color3 = Green
|label4 = [[English people|English ancestry]]
|value4 = 12.5
|color4 = DodgerBlue
|label5 = Other
|value5 = 43
|color5 = Black
}}

As of the [[2021 Australian census]], the population of Christmas Island is 1,692.<ref name=Census2021>{{cite web |publisher=Australian Government |department=[[Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development]] |title=2021 Census: Christmas Island |url=https://abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/LGA51710 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116101421/https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/LGA51710 |archive-date=16 November 2022|access-date=27 November 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> 22.2% of the population had Chinese ancestry (up from 18.3% in 2001), 17.0% had generic Australian ancestry (11.7% in 2001), 16.1% had Malay ancestry (9.3% in 2001), 12.5% had English ancestry (8.9% in 2001), and 3.8% of the population was of Indonesian origin. As of 2021, most are people born in Christmas Island and many are of Chinese and Malay origin.<ref name=Census2021/> 40.8% of people were born in Australia. The next most common country of birth was Malaysia at 18.6%. 29.3% of the population spoke English as their family language, while 18.4% spoke Malay, 13.9% spoke Mandarin Chinese, 3.7% Cantonese and 2.1% [[Southern Min]] (Minnan).<ref name=Census2021/> Additionally, there are small local populations of [[Malaysian Indians]] and Indonesians.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cidhs.cx/island-induction|publisher= Christmas Island District High School|title=Island induction |access-date=28 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803091021/http://www.cidhs.cx/island-induction |archive-date=3 August 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Christmas Island: An Anthropological Study |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gsGegGC3GmYC&pg=PA91 |via=Google Books |year=2008 |last=Dennis |first=Simone |publisher=Cambria Press |isbn=9781604975109 |pages=91ff |access-date=6 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151231220306/https://books.google.com/books?id=gsGegGC3GmYC&pg=PA91 |archive-date=31 December 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[2016 Australian census]] recorded that the population of Christmas Island was 40.5% female and 59.5% male, while in 2011 the figures had been 29.3% female and 70.7% male.<ref name=Census2021/> In contrast, the 2021 figures for the whole of Australia were 50.7% female, 49.3% male.<ref>{{cite web|title=2021 Census QuickStats: Australia|url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/AUS|website=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]]|access-date=27 November 2022|language=en|archive-date=25 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221025011720/https://abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/AUS|url-status=live}}</ref> Since 1998 there has been no provision for childbirth on the island; expectant mothers travel to mainland Australia approximately one month before their expected due date to give birth.<ref name="joyner">{{cite news |last1=Joyner |first1=Tom |title=Why there have been no childbirths on Christmas Island in 21 years |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-22/its-20-years-since-the-last-baby-was-born-on-christmas-island/10666124 |access-date=7 April 2020 |work=ABC News |date=22 January 2019 |language=en-AU |archive-date=10 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610104101/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-22/its-20-years-since-the-last-baby-was-born-on-christmas-island/10666124 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Ethnicity===
Historically, the majority of Christmas Islanders were those of Chinese, Malay and Indian origins, the initial permanent settlers.<ref name="SCMP" /> Today, the plurality of residents are [[Malaysian Chinese|Chinese]], with significant numbers of European Australians and [[Malaysian Malays|Malays]] as well as a smaller [[Malaysian Indian|Indian]] community, alongside more recent Filipino arrivals. Since the turn of the 21st century and right up to the present, Europeans have mainly confined themselves to The Settlement, where there is a small supermarket and several restaurants, the Malays live in their coastal [[Malay Kampong Group|kampong]], and the Chinese reside in [[Poon Saan]] ([[Cantonese Chinese|Cantonese]] for "in the middle of the hill").<ref name="ethnic"/>

===Language===
The main languages spoken at home on Christmas Island, according to respondents, are English (28%), Mandarin (17%), Malay (17%), with smaller numbers of speakers of Cantonese (4%) and [[Hokkien]] (2%). 27% did not specify a language.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/christmas-island/#people-and-society Christmas Island], ''CIA Factbook'', 2016 estimate.</ref>

===Religion===
{{Pie chart
| thumb = right
| caption = Religion in Christmas Island (2021)<ref>{{citation|title=2021 Census of Population and Housing – General Community Profile: Christmas Island (LGA51710)|date=2022 |author= ((Australian Bureau of Statistics))|url=https://abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/community-profiles/2021/LGA51710|publisher=Commonwealth of Australia|id=("General Community Profile" XLS file download: Table G14 – Religious Affiliation by Sex)}} [https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/community-profiles/2021/90101/download/GCP_90101.xlsx Direct file download (1 MB).]</ref> Note that some [[statistical noise]] is added to the publicly released census data, in order to protect residents' privacy.
| label1 = [[Islam]]
| value1 = 22.1
| color1 = green
| label2 = [[Buddhism]]
| value2 = 15.2
| color2 = Yellow
| label3 = [[Catholicism]]
| value3 = 7.3
| color3 = Blue
| label4 = [[Protestantism]]
| value4 = 4.9
| color4 = Lightblue
| label5 = Other Christian
| value5 = 1.8
| color5 = Darkblue
| label6 = Other religion
| value6 = 1.0
| color6 = Red
| color7 = black
| value7 = 19.7
| label7 = Secular Beliefs and Other Spiritual Beliefs and No Religious Affiliation
| color8 = grey
| value8 = 26.7
| label8 = Religious affiliation not stated
}}

Religious practices differ by geography across the island and effectively correspond to the island's three primary settlements: the capital (known simply as The Settlement), the Cantonese village [[Poon Saan]], and the Malay water village [[Malay Kampong Group|which is referred to often as the Kampong]].

Major religious affiliation in Christmas Island (2021)<ref>{{Cite web |title=SBS Australian Census Explorer |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/census-explorer-2021/index.html?placeType=sal&places=christmas-island&topic=cultural-diversity&lang=en |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=www.sbs.com.au}}</ref>

* 374 people or 22.1% are [[Muslims|Muslim]], up from 19.3% in 2016.
* 333 people or 19.7% are [[Irreligion]], up from 15.3% in 2016
* 258 people or 15.2% are [[Buddhism|Buddhists]], down from 18.2% in 2016
* 123 people or 7.3% are [[Catholic Church|Catholic]], down from 8.8% in 2016
* 35 people or 2.1% are [[Anglicanism|Anglican]], down from 3.6% in 2016

====The Capital====
Due to the large numbers of English and Australians who make up the bulk of the island's capital, there is a strong Anglo-Celtic influence in The Settlement which has contributed to the strong presence of Catholicism. This has been further reinforced by recent Filipino arrivals.<ref name="ethnic"/>

====Poon Saan====
[[File:Christmas Island (5774564505).jpg|thumb|upright|A Taoist temple]]
In the village of [[Poon Saan]], which functions like the island's Chinatown, Buddhism is commonplace. Traditional Cantonese folk practices also are represented in this area.<ref name="ethnic"/> Chinese temples and shrines include seven Buddhist temples (like Guan Yin Monastery (观音寺) at Gaze Road), ten Taoist temples (like Soon Tian Kong (顺天宫) in South Point and Grants Well Guan Di Temple) and shrines dedicated to [[Na Tuk Kong]] or [[Datuk Keramat]] on the island.<ref>{{cite web |date=19 September 2016 |title=Christmas Island Heritage – Temples and Shrines |url=https://christmasislandheritage.com/temples-and-shrines/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606161826/https://christmasislandheritage.com/temples-and-shrines/ |archive-date=6 June 2020 |access-date=7 June 2020}}</ref>

====Kampong====
Malays who have settled on the island's edge in their shoreline [[kampong]] tend to follow Sunni Islam.<ref name="ethnic"/> The kampong has a mosque but it is in a state of decay and disrepair with rotting timbers and cracks.<ref name=ahd-105402>{{cite AHD|105402|Malay Kampong Group|fn=9/03/001/0008|accessdate=8 June 2024}}</ref>

====Other groups====
Other smaller and less geographically concentrated groups include [[Anglicans]] who make up 3.6%, [[Uniting Church in Australia|Uniting Church]] adherents who make up 1.2%, other [[Protestants]] who make up 1.7%, and other Christian groups with 3.3%. Other religious communities collectively constitute 0.6% of the island's population.