idc-logo
svg rectangle color
AustraliaCommunity profile

Western Australia

Birthplace

In 2021, 32.2% of people in Western Australia were born overseas, compared with 14.5% in Regional Australia.

Country of Birth data identifies where people were born and is indicative of the level of cultural diversity in Western Australia. The mix of Country of Birth groups is also indicative of historical settlement patterns, as source countries for Australia's immigration program have varied significantly over time.

To get a more complete picture of cultural and ethnic characteristics, Western Australia's Country of Birth data should be viewed together with Ancestry, Language Spoken at Home and Religion.

Please note: Due to changes in ABS rules around perturbation and additivity of data to protect the confidentiality of individuals, counts of individual birthplace groups and totals derived from them may differ slightly from those published by the ABS. For more information see notes on data confidentiality.

Q:

Derived from the Census question:

'In which country was the person born?'

Birthplace - Summary
Western Australia - Total persons (Usual residence)20212016Change
BirthplaceNumber%Regional Australia %Number%Regional Australia %2016 to 2021
Total overseas born857,64832.214.5796,33132.213.5+61,317
Australia1,648,79462.078.41,492,84260.378.2+155,952
Not stated153,5785.87.1185,2267.58.3-31,648
Total Population2,660,020100.0100.02,474,399100.0100.0+185,621
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information
Birthplace - Ranked by size
Western Australia - Overseas born (Usual residence)20212016Change
BirthplaceNumber%Regional Australia %Number%Regional Australia %2016 to 2021
United Kingdom236,0988.93.9233,0449.43.9+3,054
New Zealand75,5912.82.079,2213.22.1-3,630
India61,0882.30.849,3852.00.5+11,703
South Africa44,8891.70.541,0081.70.5+3,881
Philippines37,5241.40.730,8351.20.6+6,689
Malaysia32,2821.20.229,1261.20.1+3,156
China28,4151.10.427,0811.10.4+1,334
Italy18,1750.70.319,2100.80.3-1,035
Ireland18,1470.70.218,0360.70.2+111
Vietnam18,0800.70.215,8450.60.1+2,235
Show all (128 entries)

Excludes countries of birth with fewer than 10 people.

Dominant groups

Analysis of the country of birth of the population in Western Australia in 2021 compared to Regional Australia shows that there was a larger proportion of people born overseas.

Overall, 32.2% of the population was born overseas, compared with 14.5% for Regional Australia.

The largest non-English speaking country of birth in Western Australia was India, where 2.3% of the population, or 61,088 people, were born.

The major differences between the countries of birth of the population in Western Australia and Regional Australia were:

  • A larger percentage of people born in United Kingdom (8.9% compared to 3.9%)
  • A larger percentage of people born in India (2.3% compared to 0.8%)
  • A larger percentage of people born in South Africa (1.7% compared to 0.5%)
  • A larger percentage of people born in Malaysia (1.2% compared to 0.2%)

Emerging groups

Between 2016 and 2021, the number of people born overseas increased by 61317 or 7.7%.

The largest changes in birthplace countries of the population in this area between 2016 and 2021 were for those born in:

  • India (+11,703 persons)
  • Philippines (+6,689 persons)
  • South Africa (+3,881 persons)
  • New Zealand (-3,630 persons)

DISCLAIMER: While all due care has been taken to ensure that the content of this website is accurate and current, there may be errors or omissions in it and no legal responsibility is accepted for the information and opinions in this website.

Please view our Privacy Policy, Terms of use and Legal notices.

ABS Data and the copyright in the ABS Data remains the property of the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The copyright in the way .id has modified, transformed or reconfigured the ABS Data as published on this website remains the property of .id. ABS Data can be accessed from the Australian Bureau of Statistics at www.abs.gov.au. ABS data can be used under license - terms published on ABS website. intermediary.management@abs.gov.au if you have any queries or wish to distribute any ABS data.