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, 20.7% (70,751) of people in Sunshine Coast (R) were born overseas, compared with 18.4% in Regional Qld. A further 74.3% (254,478) of people were born in Australia.
Section overview
Birthplace - Ranked by size
Sunshine Coast (R) - Overseas born (Usual residence)
This table summarises birthplace for Sunshine Coast (R) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional Qld and change since 2016.
Birthplace - Ranked by size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Sunshine Coast (R), with comparison markers for Regional Qld.
England
2021 count
20,153
% of total
5.9%
Change from 2016
-0.1pp
20,153
5.9%
-0.1pp
Not stated
2021 count
17,306
% of total
5.1%
Change from 2016
-1.3pp
17,306
5.1%
-1.3pp
New Zealand
2021 count
14,563
% of total
4.3%
Change from 2016
-0.2pp
14,563
4.3%
-0.2pp
South Africa
2021 count
4,157
% of total
1.2%
Change from 2016
+0.2pp
4,157
1.2%
+0.2pp
India
2021 count
2,332
% of total
0.7%
Change from 2016
+0.3pp
2,332
0.7%
+0.3pp
Scotland
2021 count
2,018
% of total
0.6%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
2,018
0.6%
0.0pp
Germany
2021 count
1,938
% of total
0.6%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
1,938
0.6%
0.0pp
United States of America
2021 count
1,861
% of total
0.5%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
1,861
0.5%
0.0pp
Philippines
2021 count
1,578
% of total
0.5%
Change from 2016
+0.1pp
1,578
0.5%
+0.1pp
Canada
2021 count
1,399
% of total
0.4%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
1,399
0.4%
0.0pp
Chart view
Birthplace - Ranked by size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
England
+2,565
-0.1pp
Not stated
-1,392
-1.3pp
New Zealand
+1,222
-0.2pp
South Africa
+1,291
+0.2pp
India
+1,034
+0.3pp
Scotland
+235
0.0pp
Germany
+121
0.0pp
United States of America
+435
0.0pp
Philippines
+416
+0.1pp
Canada
+360
0.0pp
Data table
Birthplace for Sunshine Coast (R). Birthplace - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional Qld.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Regional Qld% | Count | % | Regional Qld% | Count | pp | |
| England | 20,153 | 5.9% | 3.7% | 17,588 | 6.0% | 3.7% | +2,565 | -0.1pp |
| Not stated | 17,306 | 5.1% | 7.3% | 18,698 | 6.4% | 8.4% | -1,392 | -1.3pp |
| New Zealand | 14,563 | 4.3% | 3.7% | 13,341 | 4.5% | 3.9% | +1,222 | -0.2pp |
| South Africa | 4,157 | 1.2% | 0.9% | 2,866 | 1.0% | 0.7% | +1,291 | +0.2pp |
| India | 2,332 | 0.7% | 0.8% | 1,298 | 0.4% | 0.6% | +1,034 | +0.3pp |
| Scotland | 2,018 | 0.6% | 0.4% | 1,783 | 0.6% | 0.4% | +235 | 0.0pp |
| Germany | 1,938 | 0.6% | 0.4% | 1,817 | 0.6% | 0.5% | +121 | 0.0pp |
| United States of America | 1,861 | 0.5% | 0.4% | 1,426 | 0.5% | 0.3% | +435 | 0.0pp |
| Philippines | 1,578 | 0.5% | 0.9% | 1,162 | 0.4% | 0.8% | +416 | +0.1pp |
| Canada | 1,399 | 0.4% | 0.3% | 1,039 | 0.4% | 0.2% | +360 | 0.0pp |
Excludes countries of birth with fewer than 10 people.