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, 17.5% (1,408) of people in No usual address (WA) were born overseas, compared with 32.2% in Western Australia. A further 59.4% (4,775) of people were born in Australia.
Section overview
Birthplace - Ranked by size
No usual address (WA) - Overseas born (Usual residence)
This table summarises birthplace for No usual address (WA) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Western Australia and change since 2016.
Birthplace - Ranked by size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for No usual address (WA), with comparison markers for Western Australia.
Not stated
England
New Zealand
South Africa
Germany
United States of America
Italy
France
Philippines
Scotland
Chart view
Birthplace - Ranked by size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Not stated
+897
+6.8pp
England
-15
-1.9pp
New Zealand
-12
-1.4pp
South Africa
+9
-0.1pp
Germany
-6
-0.3pp
United States of America
+16
0.0pp
Italy
+8
-0.1pp
France
+5
-0.1pp
Philippines
+16
+0.1pp
Scotland
-7
-0.3pp
Data table
Birthplace for No usual address (WA). Birthplace - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Western Australia.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Western Australia% | Count | % | Western Australia% | Count | pp | |
| Not stated | 1,851 | 23.0% | 5.7% | 954 | 16.2% | 7.4% | +897 | +6.8pp |
| England | 366 | 4.6% | 7.4% | 381 | 6.5% | 7.9% | -15 | -1.9pp |
| New Zealand | 257 | 3.2% | 2.8% | 269 | 4.6% | 3.2% | -12 | -1.4pp |
| South Africa | 55 | 0.7% | 1.7% | 46 | 0.8% | 1.7% | +9 | -0.1pp |
| Germany | 46 | 0.6% | 0.4% | 52 | 0.9% | 0.4% | -6 | -0.3pp |
| United States of America | 43 | 0.5% | 0.4% | 27 | 0.5% | 0.4% | +16 | 0.0pp |
| Italy | 41 | 0.5% | 0.7% | 33 | 0.6% | 0.8% | +8 | -0.1pp |
| France | 40 | 0.5% | 0.2% | 35 | 0.6% | 0.2% | +5 | -0.1pp |
| Philippines | 35 | 0.4% | 1.4% | 19 | 0.3% | 1.2% | +16 | +0.1pp |
| Scotland | 34 | 0.4% | 1.0% | 41 | 0.7% | 1.1% | -7 | -0.3pp |
Excludes countries of birth with fewer than 10 people.