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, 9.2% (428) of people in Metford were born overseas, compared with 9.1% in Maitland (C). A further 86.6% (4,050) of people were born in Australia.

Section overview

Birthplace - Ranked by size

Metford - Overseas born (Usual residence)

This table summarises birthplace for Metford in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Maitland (C) and change since 2016.

Birthplace - Ranked by size snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Metford, with comparison markers for Maitland (C).

Metford
Maitland (C)

Not stated

2021 count

197

% of total

4.2%

Change from 2016

-0.8pp

New Zealand

2021 count

60

% of total

1.3%

Change from 2016

+0.1pp

England

2021 count

52

% of total

1.1%

Change from 2016

-0.1pp

Philippines

2021 count

46

% of total

1.0%

Change from 2016

+0.3pp

India

2021 count

36

% of total

0.8%

Change from 2016

-0.1pp

China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)

2021 count

23

% of total

0.5%

Change from 2016

+0.1pp

Vietnam

2021 count

17

% of total

0.4%

Change from 2016

+0.2pp

Thailand

2021 count

13

% of total

0.3%

Change from 2016

+0.1pp

Malaysia

2021 count

13

% of total

0.3%

Change from 2016

+0.1pp

Germany

2021 count

12

% of total

0.3%

Change from 2016

-0.2pp

Data table

Birthplace for Metford. Birthplace - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Maitland (C).

Birthplace for Metford. Birthplace - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Maitland (C).
Birthplace for Metford. Birthplace - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Maitland (C).
Category20212016Change
Count%Maitland (C)%Count%Maitland (C)%Countpp
Not stated1974.2%3.9%2395.0%5.4%-42-0.8pp
New Zealand601.3%1.0%551.2%1.0%+5+0.1pp
England521.1%1.8%551.2%1.8%-3-0.1pp
Philippines461.0%0.6%340.7%0.5%+12+0.3pp
India360.8%0.9%420.9%0.5%-6-0.1pp
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)230.5%0.2%200.4%0.2%+3+0.1pp
Vietnam170.4%0.1%100.2%0.1%+7+0.2pp
Thailand130.3%0.2%90.2%0.1%+4+0.1pp
Malaysia130.3%0.1%90.2%0.1%+4+0.1pp
Germany120.3%0.3%250.5%0.3%-13-0.2pp

Excludes countries of birth with fewer than 10 people.