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, 10.8% (23,106) of people in Lake Macquarie (C) were born overseas, compared with 12.2% in Regional NSW. A further 85.5% (182,826) of people were born in Australia.
Section overview
Birthplace - Ranked by size
Lake Macquarie (C) - Overseas born (Usual residence)
This table summarises birthplace for Lake Macquarie (C) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional NSW and change since 2016.
Birthplace - Ranked by size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Lake Macquarie (C), with comparison markers for Regional NSW.
Not stated
2021 count
7,906
% of total
3.7%
Change from 2016
-1.1pp
7,906
3.7%
-1.1pp
England
2021 count
5,444
% of total
2.5%
Change from 2016
-0.1pp
5,444
2.5%
-0.1pp
New Zealand
2021 count
2,542
% of total
1.2%
Change from 2016
+0.1pp
2,542
1.2%
+0.1pp
India
2021 count
1,038
% of total
0.5%
Change from 2016
+0.2pp
1,038
0.5%
+0.2pp
South Africa
2021 count
976
% of total
0.5%
Change from 2016
+0.2pp
976
0.5%
+0.2pp
Philippines
2021 count
911
% of total
0.4%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
911
0.4%
0.0pp
Germany
2021 count
894
% of total
0.4%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
894
0.4%
0.0pp
Scotland
2021 count
858
% of total
0.4%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
858
0.4%
0.0pp
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)
2021 count
639
% of total
0.3%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
639
0.3%
0.0pp
United States of America
2021 count
621
% of total
0.3%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
621
0.3%
0.0pp
Chart view
Birthplace - Ranked by size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Not stated
-1,515
-1.1pp
England
+293
-0.1pp
New Zealand
+282
+0.1pp
India
+372
+0.2pp
South Africa
+301
+0.2pp
Philippines
+216
0.0pp
Germany
+14
0.0pp
Scotland
-9
0.0pp
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)
+117
0.0pp
United States of America
+116
0.0pp
Data table
Birthplace for Lake Macquarie (C). Birthplace - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional NSW.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Regional NSW% | Count | % | Regional NSW% | Count | pp | |
| Not stated | 7,906 | 3.7% | 6.5% | 9,421 | 4.8% | 7.9% | -1,515 | -1.1pp |
| England | 5,444 | 2.5% | 2.8% | 5,151 | 2.6% | 2.8% | +293 | -0.1pp |
| New Zealand | 2,542 | 1.2% | 1.2% | 2,260 | 1.1% | 1.1% | +282 | +0.1pp |
| India | 1,038 | 0.5% | 0.7% | 666 | 0.3% | 0.5% | +372 | +0.2pp |
| South Africa | 976 | 0.5% | 0.4% | 675 | 0.3% | 0.3% | +301 | +0.2pp |
| Philippines | 911 | 0.4% | 0.5% | 695 | 0.4% | 0.4% | +216 | 0.0pp |
| Germany | 894 | 0.4% | 0.4% | 880 | 0.4% | 0.4% | +14 | 0.0pp |
| Scotland | 858 | 0.4% | 0.4% | 867 | 0.4% | 0.4% | -9 | 0.0pp |
| China (excludes SARs and Taiwan) | 639 | 0.3% | 0.3% | 522 | 0.3% | 0.4% | +117 | 0.0pp |
| United States of America | 621 | 0.3% | 0.3% | 505 | 0.3% | 0.3% | +116 | 0.0pp |
Excludes countries of birth with fewer than 10 people.