Last month SBS launched the SBS Census Explorer an interactive online tool featuring demographic data gathered in the 2011 Census. The tool can be used to explore the results of the Census data.
On 21 June the Australian Bureau of Statistics released some of the data collected on Census night, 9 August 2011. More data will be released later and added to the SBS Census Explorer.
This is a fantastic tool for visualising Census data.
Demographic data released and appearing in the SBS Census Explorer include: age, religious affiliation, personal income, Indigenous status and languages spoken at home. Comparisons can be performed between different categories of demographic data. This allows a user to quickly compare a local suburb to elsewhere, or the makeup of a community.
The visual impact of the SBS Census Explorer, highlights just how diverse we are.
SBS’s Managing Director Michael Ebeid said: “The SBS Census Explorer is an easy to use tool that gives Australians access to some of the most important Census data, bringing it to life in maps, charts and graphs that are interactive and easy to read.
“Users can compare languages and places and learn more about the makeup of their communities." 
Mr Ebeid went on to say the tool was a great example of how “SBS is developing interactive and innovative online applications to support our offering and further broaden our understanding of multicultural Australia.”
The 2011 Census brings languages to the forefront of the data, demonstrating the significance of language in Australia. In addition to the online Census Explorer tool, SBS news and current affairs has developed a range of cross platform editorial content covering four key language groups with significant outcomes from this release of Census information. The multi-media coverage will focus on the emergence of the Mandarin, Arabic, Hindi and Korean communities in Australia.
It is definitely worth visiting the SBS Census Explorer which is on all SBS Radio Language web pages, customised for each language and at http://sbs.com.au/census
