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City of SydneyCommunity profile

City of Sydney

Birthplace

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In 2021, 15.5% of the non-English speaking population in the City of Sydney were born in Australia.

People speaking a language other than English at home may have been born in a variety of different countries. Second and third generation migrants may be born in Australia. This topic looks at the distribution of birthplaces for non-English language speakers only. It is likely to vary depending on which communities exist in the local area. Some countries may have multiple languages represented, in different parts of the country (eg. India), while other languages are spoken in a range of countries (e.g. Spanish, Arabic). This topic is another tool to pinpoint the particular cultural groups forming your community.

Q:

Derived from the Census question:

'In which country was the person born?'

Birthplace - Ranked by size
City of Sydney - non-English speakers20212016Change
BirthplaceNumber%City of Sydney - Total populationNumber%City of Sydney - Total population2016 to 2021
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)15,70521.37.819,71926.19.7-4,014
Thailand5,6207.63.06,3388.43.2-718
Indonesia4,9796.82.74,7776.32.5+202
India2,7063.71.82,0122.71.3+694
Vietnam2,0382.81.11,8822.51.0+156
Hong Kong (SAR of China)1,9662.71.21,9662.61.10
Korea, Republic of (South)1,8552.51.13,0134.01.7-1,158
Malaysia1,7622.41.31,5072.01.1+255
Brazil1,7542.41.11,3671.80.8+387
Colombia1,7102.30.98571.10.5+853
Show all (119 entries)
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

Excludes countries with fewer than 10 people.

Birthplace - Summary
City of Sydney - non-English speakers20212016Change
BirthplaceNumber%City of Sydney - Total populationNumber%City of Sydney - Total population2016 to 2021
Overseas born61,73883.848.565,70786.947.8-3,969
Australia11,42415.544.79,00611.939.3+2,418
Not stated5360.76.99361.212.9-400
Total people73,698100.0100.075,649100.0100.0-1,951
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

Dominant groups

Analysis of the country of birth of the non-English speaking population in the City of Sydney in 2021 compared to the total population in the City of Sydney shows that there was a larger proportion of people born overseas.

Overall, 83.8% of the non-English speaking population was born overseas, compared with 48.5% for the total population in the City of Sydney.

The major differences between the countries of birth of the non-English speaking population in the City of Sydney and the total population in the City of Sydney were:

  • A larger percentage of people born in China (excludes SARs and Taiwan) (21.3% compared to 7.8%)
  • A larger percentage of people born in Thailand (7.6% compared to 3.0%)
  • A larger percentage of people born in Indonesia (6.8% compared to 2.7%)
  • A smaller percentage of people born in New Zealand (0.6% compared to 2.7%)

Emerging groups

Between 2016 and 2021, the number of non-English speakers born overseas decreased by 3,969 or 6.0%,

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

  • China (excludes SARs and Taiwan) (-4,014 persons)
  • Korea, Republic of (South) (-1,158 persons)
  • Colombia (+853 persons)
  • Thailand (-718 persons)

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