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, 30.5% (8,811) of people in Cambridge (T) were born overseas, compared with 35.9% in Greater Perth. A further 66.7% (19,240) of people were born in Australia.

Section overview

Birthplace - Ranked by size

Cambridge (T) - Overseas born (Usual residence)

This table summarises birthplace for Cambridge (T) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Perth and change since 2016.

Birthplace - Ranked by size snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Cambridge (T), with comparison markers for Greater Perth.

Cambridge (T)
Greater Perth

England

2021 count

2,022

% of total

7.0%

Change from 2016

0.0pp

Not stated

2021 count

801

% of total

2.8%

Change from 2016

-2.5pp

South Africa

2021 count

563

% of total

2.0%

Change from 2016

+0.2pp

Malaysia

2021 count

472

% of total

1.6%

Change from 2016

+0.3pp

New Zealand

2021 count

435

% of total

1.5%

Change from 2016

-0.1pp

India

2021 count

406

% of total

1.4%

Change from 2016

+0.1pp

China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)

2021 count

391

% of total

1.4%

Change from 2016

+0.5pp

Ireland

2021 count

384

% of total

1.3%

Change from 2016

-0.1pp

United States of America

2021 count

303

% of total

1.1%

Change from 2016

-0.1pp

Scotland

2021 count

285

% of total

1.0%

Change from 2016

-0.1pp

Data table

Birthplace for Cambridge (T). Birthplace - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Perth.

Birthplace for Cambridge (T). Birthplace - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Perth.
Birthplace for Cambridge (T). Birthplace - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Perth.
Category20212016Change
Count%Greater Perth%Count%Greater Perth%Countpp
England2,0227.0%8.0%1,8757.0%8.6%+1470.0pp
Not stated8012.8%4.6%1,4145.3%6.6%-613-2.5pp
South Africa5632.0%1.8%4921.8%1.8%+71+0.2pp
Malaysia4721.6%1.5%3581.3%1.5%+114+0.3pp
New Zealand4351.5%2.8%4411.6%3.2%-6-0.1pp
India4061.4%2.8%3451.3%2.4%+61+0.1pp
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)3911.4%1.3%2510.9%1.3%+140+0.5pp
Ireland3841.3%0.8%3651.4%0.8%+19-0.1pp
United States of America3031.1%0.4%3191.2%0.4%-16-0.1pp
Scotland2851.0%1.1%3021.1%1.2%-17-0.1pp

Excludes countries of birth with fewer than 10 people.