Brisbane suburbs where the most Malayalam is spoken at home

Drewvale has the highest share, at 5% of residents. Mackenzie and Deebing Heights follow. These 15 suburbs came from a field of 41 eligible Brisbane suburbs.

This page ranks Brisbane suburbs by the share of residents who speak Malayalam at home in the 2021 Census — where the Malayalam-speaking community is most concentrated. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents are ranked.

Shares are the count of Brisbane residents who speak Malayalam at home divided by the suburb's total population, from the ABS 2021 Census language table — the same source as each suburb page's language breakdown. Percentile ranks are computed within Brisbane's pool. Language spoken at home understates a community's full size — it misses Malayalam-heritage residents who speak mainly English at home — but it's the cleanest signal of an active community. Descriptive demographic information, not a recommendation.

Brisbane suburbs where the most Malayalam is spoken at home

Ranked by the share of residents who speak Malayalam at home in the 2021 Census, among suburbs with at least 2,000 residents — where the Malayalam-speaking community is most established.

1

Drewvale

QLD 4116 · 4,779 residents

5.0% of residents · 238 speakers

A 100.0
2

Mackenzie

QLD 4156 · 2,336 residents

4.2% of residents · 98 speakers

A 97.5
3

Deebing Heights

QLD 4306 · 3,960 residents

3.6% of residents · 144 speakers

B 95.0
4

Heathwood

QLD 4110 · 4,944 residents

3.1% of residents · 151 speakers

A 92.5
5

Augustine Heights

QLD 4300 · 6,088 residents

3.0% of residents · 182 speakers

B 90.0
6

Chermside West

QLD 4032 · 6,965 residents

2.9% of residents · 205 speakers

A+ 87.5
7

Carseldine

QLD 4034 · 10,093 residents

2.2% of residents · 217 speakers

A+ 85.0
8

Parkinson

QLD 4115 · 11,148 residents

1.9% of residents · 217 speakers

A 82.5
9

Mango Hill

QLD 4509 · 14,921 residents

1.9% of residents · 287 speakers

B 80.0
10

Bridgeman Downs

QLD 4035 · 10,938 residents

1.9% of residents · 210 speakers

A+ 77.5
11

McDowall

QLD 4053 · 7,612 residents

1.8% of residents · 135 speakers

A+ 75.0
12

Pallara

QLD 4110 · 3,861 residents

1.8% of residents · 68 speakers

B 72.5
13

Ripley

QLD 4306 · 4,288 residents

1.6% of residents · 70 speakers

B 70.0
14

Wishart

QLD 4122 · 11,333 residents

1.5% of residents · 168 speakers

A 67.5
15

South Ripley

QLD 4306 · 4,069 residents

1.5% of residents · 60 speakers

C 65.0

Ranked from 41 qualifying suburbs.

How we ranked these

100% share of residents who speak this language at home in the 2021 Census (speakers divided by the suburb's total population), percentile-ranked within Brisbane's candidate pool. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents qualify, and the larger absolute number of speakers breaks ties. Language spoken at home understates a community's full size but is the cleanest signal of an active community. Descriptive ABS Census data, not a recommendation. See how we calculate for the full methodology.

Common questions about this ranking

Which Brisbane suburbs have the most Malayalam spoken at home?

Drewvale has the highest share, at 5% of residents. Mackenzie and Deebing Heights follow. These 15 suburbs came from a field of 41 eligible Brisbane suburbs.

How is this ranking put together?

Each Brisbane suburb is ranked by the share of its residents who speak Malayalam at home in the 2021 Census — that count divided by the suburb's total population. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents are included, and percentile ranks are computed within Brisbane's pool, so the list reflects concentration relative to other metro suburbs.

Where does the data come from?

The Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census 'language used at home' question — the same source as the language breakdown on each suburb page. Nothing is estimated or inferred about any individual.

Does this capture everyone of Malayalam heritage?

No — it counts people who speak Malayalam at home, which understates the full community: Malayalam-heritage residents who speak mainly English at home aren't counted. It's the cleanest available signal of an active language community, not a complete ancestry measure, and it isn't a recommendation to seek out or avoid anywhere.

How current is it?

The figures are from the 2021 Census, the most recent available until results from the August 2026 Census are released in 2027. The top 15 is recomputed whenever we refresh the census data.

Same list in other cities

Related

Rankings last computed 28 September 2026. Recomputed after each ACARA schools data refresh.

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