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, 7.6% (45) of people in Cocos Islands were born overseas, compared with 35.4% in Other Territories. A further 73.9% (436) of people were born in Australia.
Section overview
Birthplace - Ranked by size
Cocos Islands - Overseas born (Usual residence)
This table summarises birthplace for Cocos Islands in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Other Territories and change since 2016.
Birthplace - Ranked by size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Cocos Islands, with comparison markers for Other Territories.
Not stated
2021 count
109
% of total
18.5%
Change from 2016
-
109
18.5%
-
Malaysia
2021 count
24
% of total
4.1%
Change from 2016
-
24
4.1%
-
Chart view
Birthplace - Ranked by size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Data table
Birthplace for Cocos Islands. 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 | |
| Not stated | 109 | 18.5% | 15.4% | - | - | 12.5% | - | - |
| Malaysia | 24 | 4.1% | 7.2% | - | - | 8.8% | - | - |
Excludes countries of birth with fewer than 10 people.