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, 42.2% (692) of people in Christmas Island were born overseas, compared with 35.4% in Other Territories. A further 42.1% (690) of people were born in Australia.
Section overview
Birthplace - Ranked by size
Christmas Island - Overseas born (Usual residence)
This table summarises birthplace for Christmas Island in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Other Territories and change since 2016.
Birthplace - Ranked by size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Christmas Island, with comparison markers for Other Territories.
Malaysia
2021 count
314
% of total
19.2%
Change from 2016
-
314
19.2%
-
Not stated
2021 count
256
% of total
15.6%
Change from 2016
-
256
15.6%
-
Singapore
2021 count
43
% of total
2.6%
Change from 2016
-
43
2.6%
-
England
2021 count
33
% of total
2.0%
Change from 2016
-
33
2.0%
-
New Zealand
2021 count
32
% of total
2.0%
Change from 2016
-
32
2.0%
-
Sudan
2021 count
27
% of total
1.6%
Change from 2016
-
27
1.6%
-
Philippines
2021 count
27
% of total
1.6%
Change from 2016
-
27
1.6%
-
India
2021 count
22
% of total
1.3%
Change from 2016
-
22
1.3%
-
Indonesia
2021 count
17
% of total
1.0%
Change from 2016
-
17
1.0%
-
Tonga
2021 count
13
% of total
0.8%
Change from 2016
-
13
0.8%
-
Chart view
Birthplace - Ranked by size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Data table
Birthplace for Christmas Island. Birthplace - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Other Territories.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Other Territories% | Count | % | Other Territories% | Count | pp | |
| Malaysia | 314 | 19.2% | 7.2% | - | - | 8.8% | - | - |
| Not stated | 256 | 15.6% | 15.4% | - | - | 12.5% | - | - |
| Singapore | 43 | 2.6% | 0.9% | - | - | 1.1% | - | - |
| England | 33 | 2.0% | 2.2% | - | - | 2.5% | - | - |
| New Zealand | 32 | 2.0% | 7.4% | - | - | 8.1% | - | - |
| Sudan | 27 | 1.6% | 0.6% | - | - | 0.4% | - | - |
| Philippines | 27 | 1.6% | 1.3% | - | - | 1.5% | - | - |
| India | 22 | 1.3% | 0.6% | - | - | 0.2% | - | - |
| Indonesia | 17 | 1.0% | 0.4% | - | - | 0.4% | - | - |
| Tonga | 13 | 0.8% | 0.3% | - | - | 0.1% | - | - |
Excludes countries of birth with fewer than 10 people.