Cultural diversity
Birthplace
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.
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, 35.7% (1,580) of people in Ferndale (WA) were born overseas, compared with 50.8% in Canning (C). A further 59.4% (2,627) of people were born in Australia.
Section overview
Birthplace - Ranked by size
Ferndale (WA) - Overseas born (Usual residence)
This table summarises birthplace for Ferndale (WA) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Canning (C) and change since 2016.
Birthplace - Ranked by size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Ferndale (WA), with comparison markers for Canning (C).
England
Not stated
Malaysia
New Zealand
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)
India
South Africa
Singapore
Scotland
Philippines
Chart view
Birthplace - Ranked by size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
England
-50
-1.4pp
Not stated
+39
+0.7pp
Malaysia
+42
+0.9pp
New Zealand
-37
-1.0pp
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)
+18
+0.4pp
India
+11
+0.2pp
South Africa
-14
-0.3pp
Singapore
-1
0.0pp
Scotland
-13
-0.4pp
Philippines
-12
-0.3pp
Data table
Birthplace for Ferndale (WA). Birthplace - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Canning (C).
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Canning (C)% | Count | % | Canning (C)% | Count | pp | |
| England | 362 | 8.2% | 4.6% | 412 | 9.6% | 5.4% | -50 | -1.4pp |
| Not stated | 218 | 4.9% | 3.8% | 179 | 4.2% | 5.0% | +39 | +0.7pp |
| Malaysia | 134 | 3.0% | 6.2% | 92 | 2.1% | 6.0% | +42 | +0.9pp |
| New Zealand | 116 | 2.6% | 1.9% | 153 | 3.6% | 2.1% | -37 | -1.0pp |
| China (excludes SARs and Taiwan) | 106 | 2.4% | 4.8% | 88 | 2.0% | 5.1% | +18 | +0.4pp |
| India | 92 | 2.1% | 7.9% | 81 | 1.9% | 6.1% | +11 | +0.2pp |
| South Africa | 48 | 1.1% | 1.1% | 62 | 1.4% | 1.2% | -14 | -0.3pp |
| Singapore | 47 | 1.1% | 2.1% | 48 | 1.1% | 2.1% | -1 | 0.0pp |
| Scotland | 46 | 1.0% | 0.6% | 59 | 1.4% | 0.8% | -13 | -0.4pp |
| Philippines | 43 | 1.0% | 1.7% | 55 | 1.3% | 1.8% | -12 | -0.3pp |
Excludes countries of birth with fewer than 10 people.