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, 40.3% (77,393) of people in The Hills Shire (A) were born overseas, compared with 38.6% in Greater Sydney. A further 57.5% (110,355) of people were born in Australia.

Section overview

Birthplace - Ranked by size

The Hills Shire (A) - Overseas born (Usual residence)

This table summarises birthplace for The Hills Shire (A) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Sydney and change since 2016.

Birthplace - Ranked by size snapshot

2021 distribution by category for The Hills Shire (A), with comparison markers for Greater Sydney.

The Hills Shire (A)
Greater Sydney

India

2021 count

12,577

% of total

6.6%

Change from 2016

+3.0pp

China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)

2021 count

12,304

% of total

6.4%

Change from 2016

+1.3pp

England

2021 count

5,122

% of total

2.7%

Change from 2016

-0.6pp

Not stated

2021 count

4,082

% of total

2.1%

Change from 2016

-1.1pp

Philippines

2021 count

3,449

% of total

1.8%

Change from 2016

+0.3pp

Korea, Republic of (South)

2021 count

3,197

% of total

1.7%

Change from 2016

+0.1pp

Sri Lanka

2021 count

3,096

% of total

1.6%

Change from 2016

+0.1pp

South Africa

2021 count

3,038

% of total

1.6%

Change from 2016

0.0pp

Iran

2021 count

2,985

% of total

1.6%

Change from 2016

+0.5pp

Hong Kong (SAR of China)

2021 count

2,439

% of total

1.3%

Change from 2016

0.0pp

Data table

Birthplace for The Hills Shire (A). Birthplace - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Sydney.

Birthplace for The Hills Shire (A). Birthplace - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Sydney.
Birthplace for The Hills Shire (A). Birthplace - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Sydney.
Category20212016Change
Count%Greater Sydney%Count%Greater Sydney%Countpp
India12,5776.6%3.6%5,7053.6%2.7%+6,872+3.0pp
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)12,3046.4%4.6%8,0675.1%4.7%+4,237+1.3pp
England5,1222.7%2.9%5,2003.3%3.1%-78-0.6pp
Not stated4,0822.1%4.6%5,0233.2%6.2%-941-1.1pp
Philippines3,4491.8%1.7%2,3901.5%1.6%+1,059+0.3pp
Korea, Republic of (South)3,1971.7%1.0%2,4601.6%1.0%+737+0.1pp
Sri Lanka3,0961.6%0.6%2,3321.5%0.6%+764+0.1pp
South Africa3,0381.6%0.8%2,4471.6%0.7%+5910.0pp
Iran2,9851.6%0.5%1,6741.1%0.5%+1,311+0.5pp
Hong Kong (SAR of China)2,4391.3%0.9%1,9871.3%0.8%+4520.0pp

Excludes countries of birth with fewer than 10 people.