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, 19.6% (2,868) of people in No usual address (Qld) were born overseas, compared with 22.7% in Queensland. A further 61.6% (9,019) of people were born in Australia.

Section overview

Birthplace - Ranked by size

No usual address (Qld) - Overseas born (Usual residence)

This table summarises birthplace for No usual address (Qld) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Queensland and change since 2016.

Birthplace - Ranked by size snapshot

2021 distribution by category for No usual address (Qld), with comparison markers for Queensland.

No usual address (Qld)
Queensland

Not stated

2021 count

2,744

% of total

18.8%

Change from 2016

+2.7pp

England

2021 count

657

% of total

4.5%

Change from 2016

-2.1pp

New Zealand

2021 count

565

% of total

3.9%

Change from 2016

-0.7pp

Germany

2021 count

101

% of total

0.7%

Change from 2016

-0.1pp

South Africa

2021 count

89

% of total

0.6%

Change from 2016

+0.2pp

France

2021 count

81

% of total

0.6%

Change from 2016

-0.1pp

Netherlands

2021 count

72

% of total

0.5%

Change from 2016

-0.2pp

China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)

2021 count

69

% of total

0.5%

Change from 2016

-0.3pp

Scotland

2021 count

64

% of total

0.4%

Change from 2016

-0.3pp

United States of America

2021 count

62

% of total

0.4%

Change from 2016

-0.1pp

Data table

Birthplace for No usual address (Qld). Birthplace - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Queensland.

Birthplace for No usual address (Qld). Birthplace - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Queensland.
Birthplace for No usual address (Qld). Birthplace - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Queensland.
Category20212016Change
Count%Queensland%Count%Queensland%Countpp
Not stated2,74418.8%5.9%2,01216.1%7.3%+732+2.7pp
England6574.5%3.7%8196.6%3.8%-162-2.1pp
New Zealand5653.9%4.0%5704.6%4.3%-5-0.7pp
Germany1010.7%0.4%970.8%0.4%+4-0.1pp
South Africa890.6%1.0%550.4%0.9%+34+0.2pp
France810.6%0.1%850.7%0.1%-4-0.1pp
Netherlands720.5%0.3%910.7%0.3%-19-0.2pp
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)690.5%1.1%1030.8%1.0%-34-0.3pp
Scotland640.4%0.4%910.7%0.5%-27-0.3pp
United States of America620.4%0.4%660.5%0.4%-4-0.1pp

Excludes countries of birth with fewer than 10 people.