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    We are dedicated to providing health information to culturally and linguistically diverse communities in NSW. To learn more see our resources below:

    culturally and linguistically diverse communities NSW Statistics

     

    culturally and linguistically diverse communities NSW Resources

     

    Population Demographics


    What percentage of people in NSW was born overseas?

    The percentage of people born in mainly non-English speaking countries 27.6% of the NSW population (ABS Census 2016).

    Which are the largest multicultural communities in NSW?

    The top five countries of birth in NSW (non-English speaking country) are: China (excludes SARs and Taiwan), India, Philippines, Vietnam, Lebanon (ABS Census 2016).

    How many people speak a language other than English at home?

    1,878,773 people or 25.1% of the NSW population speak a language other than English at home. There were 1,702,506 people or 26% of the NSW population who spoke a language other than English in the 2006 Census. This represents an additional 176,267 or 9.4% increase in the population that speak a language other than English at home. (ABS Census 2016 and 2006).

    What are the top 10 most common languages other than English spoken in NSW?

    The top 10 languages other than English spoken in NSW are: Mandarin, Arabic, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Greek, Italian, Tagalog (Filipino), Hindi, Spanish, and Korean (ABS Census 2016).

    What percentage of people in NSW has low English proficiency?

    There are 4.5% of the NSW population that speak English not well or not all (ABS Census 2016).

    Which culturally and linguistically diverse communities groups have the lowest English language proficiency (ELP) in NSW?

    Please see the ABS Census 2016 for the culturally and linguistically diverse communities that have lowest English proficiency (ELP) in NSW:

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    Health Statistics


    What is the health status of people from CALD communities in NSW?
    Overseas-born people generally have good health. This reflects the 'healthy migrant effect', whereby people in good health are more likely to meet eligibility criteria, and to be willing and economically able to migrate.
    However, certain diseases and health risk factors are more prevalent among some country-of-birth groups. This reflects diverse social, economic, environmental, cultural, and genetic influences.
    Compared with the Australian-born, people born in some overseas countries have high rates of:

    • self-reported current smoking (people born in Lebanon)
    • self-reported overweight and obesity (males born in Lebanon; females born in Italy, Lebanon and Greece)
    • self-reported diabetes (people born in Italy, Greece, Germany, Lebanon and United Kingdom) and of hospitalisation for diabetes or its complications (people born in Lebanon and the Philippines)
    • hospitalisation for coronary heart disease (Fiji, Lebanon, Iraq and Sri Lanka) and cardiac revascularisation procedures (Fiji, Lebanon, Iraq, Sri Lanka, Greece, Indonesia, India, and Italy)
    • tuberculosis (India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, China, Korea, Hong Kong, Fiji and Malaysia)
    • self-reported psychological distress (people born in Lebanon and Greece).

    Compared with the Australian-born, people born in some overseas countries:

    • are more likely to have premature babies (mothers born in Italy, Fiji, the Philippines and New Zealand)
    • are less likely to have their first antenatal visit before 20 weeks gestation (mothers born in Lebanon, New Zealand, Fiji, Iraq, Pakistan, Korea, China, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines)

    (Report of the NSW Chief Health Officer 2010)

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    Community Profiles


    MHCS has developed community profiles for specific culturally and linguistically diverse communities populations.
    Other useful sites include:

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