Cultural diversity
Birthplace
About this topic
Birthplace records the country in which a person was born. It is a core measure of migration history and cultural diversity and helps distinguish Australia-born and overseas-born populations.
This topic is useful for understanding settlement patterns and the likely language, service, and support needs of different communities. It should be interpreted together with ancestry, language used at home, and religion for a fuller view of cultural diversity.
Interpretation notes
- Country of birth measures birthplace only; it does not capture ancestry, ethnicity, or current citizenship on its own.
- Use birthplace with ancestry and language when interpreting cultural background, because many cultural groups include both Australia-born and overseas-born people.
Key insight
In 2021, 22.3% (37,252) of people in Cairns (R) were born overseas, compared with 18.4% in Regional Qld. A further 69.1% (115,273) of people were born in Australia.
Section overview
Birthplace - Ranked by size
Cairns (R) - Overseas born (Usual residence)
This table summarises birthplace for Cairns (R) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional Qld and change since 2016.
Birthplace - Ranked by size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Cairns (R), with comparison markers for Regional Qld.
Not stated
2021 count
14,392
% of total
8.6%
Change from 2016
-1.1pp
14,392
8.6%
-1.1pp
England
2021 count
6,522
% of total
3.9%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
6,522
3.9%
0.0pp
New Zealand
2021 count
4,715
% of total
2.8%
Change from 2016
-0.3pp
4,715
2.8%
-0.3pp
Papua New Guinea
2021 count
2,361
% of total
1.4%
Change from 2016
-0.1pp
2,361
1.4%
-0.1pp
Philippines
2021 count
2,132
% of total
1.3%
Change from 2016
+0.1pp
2,132
1.3%
+0.1pp
India
2021 count
1,854
% of total
1.1%
Change from 2016
+0.2pp
1,854
1.1%
+0.2pp
Japan
2021 count
1,634
% of total
1.0%
Change from 2016
-0.1pp
1,634
1.0%
-0.1pp
Germany
2021 count
1,112
% of total
0.7%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
1,112
0.7%
0.0pp
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)
2021 count
875
% of total
0.5%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
875
0.5%
0.0pp
South Africa
2021 count
849
% of total
0.5%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
849
0.5%
0.0pp
Chart view
Birthplace - Ranked by size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Not stated
-790
-1.1pp
England
+352
0.0pp
New Zealand
-84
-0.3pp
Papua New Guinea
+67
-0.1pp
Philippines
+324
+0.1pp
India
+480
+0.2pp
Japan
-28
-0.1pp
Germany
+90
0.0pp
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)
+88
0.0pp
South Africa
+134
0.0pp
Data table
Birthplace for Cairns (R). Birthplace - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional Qld.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Regional Qld% | Count | % | Regional Qld% | Count | pp | |
| Not stated | 14,392 | 8.6% | 7.3% | 15,182 | 9.7% | 8.4% | -790 | -1.1pp |
| England | 6,522 | 3.9% | 3.7% | 6,170 | 3.9% | 3.7% | +352 | 0.0pp |
| New Zealand | 4,715 | 2.8% | 3.7% | 4,799 | 3.1% | 3.9% | -84 | -0.3pp |
| Papua New Guinea | 2,361 | 1.4% | 0.3% | 2,294 | 1.5% | 0.3% | +67 | -0.1pp |
| Philippines | 2,132 | 1.3% | 0.9% | 1,808 | 1.2% | 0.8% | +324 | +0.1pp |
| India | 1,854 | 1.1% | 0.8% | 1,374 | 0.9% | 0.6% | +480 | +0.2pp |
| Japan | 1,634 | 1.0% | 0.3% | 1,662 | 1.1% | 0.3% | -28 | -0.1pp |
| Germany | 1,112 | 0.7% | 0.4% | 1,022 | 0.7% | 0.5% | +90 | 0.0pp |
| China (excludes SARs and Taiwan) | 875 | 0.5% | 0.5% | 787 | 0.5% | 0.4% | +88 | 0.0pp |
| South Africa | 849 | 0.5% | 0.9% | 715 | 0.5% | 0.7% | +134 | 0.0pp |
Excludes countries of birth with fewer than 10 people.