Cultural diversity

Country of birth

At the 2021 Census:

32.5% of Boroondara residents were born overseas, compared with 35.7% of Greater Melbourne residents
Boroondara residents named more than 150 countries as their place of birth
43.6% of Boroondara residents had both parents born overseas, compared with 49.3% of Greater Melbourne residents.

The top overseas countries of birth in Boroondara in 2021 were:

China (8% of Boroondara residents)
United Kingdom (3.4%)
India (2.4%).

Most of Boroondara’s population growth is due to overseas migration. During the 2018–19 financial year (the last prior to the COVID-19 pandemic) net overseas migration accounted for around 2,400 new Boroondara residents. Natural increase (births minus deaths) accounted for around 350 new Boroondara residents, and Boroondara lost around 950 residents to other parts of Australia over the same period (see Australian Bureau of Statistics page on regional population, 2020–21).

The countries of birth which saw the largest increase between 2016 and 2021 were:

China (+ 2,330 Boroondara residents)
Australia (+1,078)
Malaysia (+ 416).

These figures will have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated international border closures, which likely resulted in some loss of overseas born residents from Boroondara.

Line chart showing that the proportion of Boroondara and Greater Melbourne residents who were born overseas has increased every Census between 2001 and 2021, inclusive. In 2011 the proportions were 24% for Boroondara and 28% for Greater Melbourne. By 2021 it was 33% for Boroondara and 36% for Greater Melbourne.

Figure 1: The proportion of Boroondara and Greater Melbourne residents who were born overseas has increased over time. Data source: Informed Decisions Boroondara birthplace profile

Various waves of migration have resulted in differing age profiles among Boroondara populations born in different regions (Figure 2).

Bar chart showing the top 10 overseas countries of birth of Boroondara residents by median age in 2021. The lowest median age is 38 years for people born in India and 41 years for people born in China. The highest median age is 73 for people born in Italy and 76 for people born in Greece. The overall median age for Boroondara residents is 40.

Figure 2: In 2021, the median age of Boroondara residents who were born in Greece or Italy was much higher than the median age of Boroondara residents born in China or India. Data source: Informed Decisions Boroondara birthplace profile

For more information on country of birth, see the Informed Decisions Boroondara birthplace page.

Language

One in 3, or 32.6% of Boroondara households, use a language other than English. Of the more than 120 languages other than English spoken in Boroondara households, the most common are:

Mandarin (10.4% of Boroondara residents)
Cantonese (3%)
Greek (2.7%).

Corresponding with the increase in overseas-born Boroondara residents, the percentage of residents who speak a language other than English has grown over time (Figure 3).

Line chart showing that the proportion of Boroondara and Greater Melbourne residents who speak a language other than English at home has increased every Census between 2001 and 2021, inclusive. In 2011 the proportions were 18% for Boroondara and 25.2% for Greater Melbourne. By 2021 it was 28.7% for Boroondara and 34.1% for Greater Melbourne.

Figure 3: The proportion of Boroondara and Greater Melbourne residents who speak a language other than English at home has increased. Data source: Informed Decisions Boroondara birthplace profile

Most Boroondara residents who speak a language other than English at home are proficient in spoken English (Figure 4) and females have the most limited English proficiency (Figure 5).

Bar chart shows that 86% of all Boroondara residents who speak a language other than English at home speak English well or very well. For Mandarin speakers the proportion is 77%, for Cantonese speakers it is 85% and for Greek speakers it is 89%.

Figure 4: Most Boroondara residents who speak a language other than English at home are also proficient in spoken English. The proportion varies depending on the language. Data source: ABS Tablebuilder Pro, 2021 Census.

Pie chart showing that 60% of Boroondara residents who report that they speak English not well or not at all are female.

Figure 5: Most Boroondara residents with limited English proficiency are female. Data source: Informed Decisions Boroondara birthplace profile

For more information about language spoken, see the Informed Decisions Boroondara languages page.

Ancestry

Ancestry is an indicator of the size of cultural groups in Boroondara regardless of birthplace or spoken language. The Census allows respondents to nominate up to 2 ancestries. The 10 ancestries most frequently reported by Boroondara residents in 2021 are shown in Figure 6.

Bar chart showsthe top 10 reported ancestries of Boroondara residents at the 2021 Census: 29% English, 24% Australian, 18.2% Chinese, 11.8% Irish and 9.9% Scottish. Italian, Greek, Indian, German and Vietnamese ancestries rounded out the top 10.

Figure 6: English is the most frequently reported ancestry among Boroondara residents. Data source: Informed Decisions Boroondara ancestry profile

For more information on ancestry, see the Informed Decisions Boroondara ancestry page.

Citizenship

Each year, ceremonies are held in Boroondara to welcome new Australian citizens. While the proportion of the Boroondara community who were born overseas has increased, the proportion who are Australian citizens trended gradually downward until the 2021 Census.

Line chart shows that the proportion of Boroondara and Greater Melbourne residents who are Australian citizens decreased every Census between 2001 and 2016, inclusive, before increasing again in 2021. In 2001 the proportion was 87% for both Boroondara and Greater Melbourne. In 2016 it was 82% in Boroondara and 80% in Greater Melbourne, by 2021 it was 84% for Boroondara and 81% for Greater Melbourne.

Figure 7: The proportion of Boroondara and Greater Melbourne residents who are Australian citizens was slowly trending downward, but the 2021 Census saw the trend reverse. Data source: Informed Decisions Boroondara birthplace profile

Religion

Just over half the Boroondara population (50.5%) report a religious affiliation. Christianity is the most common religion in Boroondara, with 41.5% of residents identifying as Christian. This has declined over time (Figure 8). The largest Christian denominations are Roman Catholic (19.9% of residents) and Anglican (7.9%).

While fewer people are reporting their religion as Christian, more are reporting ‘no religion’. Other religions, including Hinduism and Buddhism, are growing very gradually in Boroondara and in 2021 made up 8.5% of the population.

Line chart showing that the proportion of Boroondara residents who report no religion has increased every Census between 2001 and 2021, inclusive, from 19% to 45%. The proportion reporting a Christian religion has dropped from 63% to 42% and the proportion reporting a non-Christian religion has increased from 6% to 8%.

Figure 8: The 2021 Census was the first in which the proportion of Boroondara residents who reported no religion was greater than the proportion who reported being Christian. Data source: Informed Decisions Boroondara birthplace profile

The religion profile of the Boroondara population varies by age group (Figure 9).

Column chart showing that the proportion of Boroondara residents who report a Christian religion is lowest at 29.5% among people 18 to 34, increasing to 62.1% among people over 69. The proportion who report no religion is highest at 56.5% among Boroondara residents aged 18 to 34 before it drops to 26% among people over 69. The proportion following a non Christian religion peaks among 35 to 49 years olds, at 12.3%.

Figure 9: In contrast to younger age groups, most Boroondara residents aged 50 and over report a Christian religion. Data source: Informed Decisions Boroondara birthplace profile

More information on Boroondara's religious profile can be found on the Informed Decisions Boroondara religion page.

Attitudes to multiculturalism

The Victorian Population Health Survey asks respondents if multiculturalism makes life in their area better. In 2020, 77% of Boroondara adults responded 'yes, definitely', which was higher than the rate for metropolitan Melbourne and for Boroondara in 2017 (Figure 10).

Line chart showing that the number of Boroondara residents who agree that multiculturalism makes life in their area better has increased from 70% in 2017 to 77% in 2020. In metropolitan Melbourne it has increased from 56% to 66%.

Figure 10: The majority of Boroondara residents agree that multiculturalism definitely makes life in their area better. Data source: Victorian Population Health Survey, published by Victorian Agency for Health Information 2022