National Demographic Survey 2026
This landmark study documents the Afro-Brazilian Samba community across Australia, mapping participation, leadership, teaching lineages, and cultural continuity through a nationally collaborative research process.
Conducted through the University of Newcastle and supported by Umbela Brasil, the research forms part of a broader doctoral investigation into the history and pedagogy of Samba in Australia.
Why This Research Matters
This research demonstrates the scale, continuity, and cultural significance of Afro-Brazilian Samba practice in Australia. It highlights a deeply connected national network shaped through teaching, migration, artistic exchange, and community leadership over multiple decades.
Methodology
An online survey was shared by more than 40 community leaders between May and June 2024. 178 people completed it. From June to August 2024, 22 leaders took part in filmed interviews. The stories of three respected elders who have passed away were also included through community oral history, extending the dataset across generations. Survey responses were cross-checked for internal consistency by correlating similar questions across sections. Findings were then compared with leader survey data and interview transcripts to identify convergences and divergences. Data was analysed using descriptive statistical methods alongside qualitative thematic analysis to ensure triangulation across sources The data shows a strong, practice-based Samba community in Australia. This community is culturally connected to Brazil, while being demographically adjacent to, but not the same as the Brazilian-born population recorded in ABS census data. For a first survey of this kind, the results are strong and reliable. They provide a clear national picture of Samba practice in Australia and show high levels of trust, participation, and community connection.
Key Results
Gratitude & Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the Commonwealth through an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship and conducted within the doctoral program of the School of Education, College of Human and Social Futures, University of Newcastle.
Gratitude to Dr Debbie Stockton and Professor Robert Parkes for their supervision and intellectual guidance throughout this work.
We acknowledge the ancestors whose lives, resistance, creativity and cultural knowledge form the foundation of this tradition, and upon whose enduring legacy this research stands.
We acknowledge the elders whose stories continue to guide the community, and whose contributions extend this research across generations.
We thank the community for its strong support of this project. The level of participation reflects significant trust and engagement across the national Samba network.
Saudações to the community leaders who championed this project and circulated the survey nationally. Your leadership and trust made this level of participation possible.
Citation APA 7
Smith, S. L. (2026). Demographic survey results of the Afro-Brazilian Samba community in Australia. Umbela Brasil. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18765177
In-text: (Smith, 2026)