2021
30.0% of people in Victoria were born overseas, compared with 27.7% Australia-wide.
The SMR is an ethnically diverse region. Figure 17 shows that Greater Dandenong (63%), Glen Eira (49%) and Casey (46%) have the greatest proportions of overseas born communities (Greater Dandenong, 2021).
(Source: ABS, 2021)
Within Greater Dandenong, the top countries of birth include Vietnam (9.3%), India (7.5%), Cambodia (5.5%) and Sri Lanka (4%).
The top countries of birth in Glen Eira are varied and include China (4.5%), India (4.4%), the UK (2.7%) and South Africa (2.4%).
Within Casey, the top countries of birth are the UK (5%), New Zealand (1%), Netherlands (1%) and Myanmar (0.8%).
The different ethnic communities living in Greater Dandenong and Glen Eira reflects the relative affluence (or lack of) of overseas born communities. It also prompts consideration of the different reasons for migrating to Australia. Greater Dandenong, for example, has 1,056 (21.2%) asylum seekers (people fleeing war and persecution) which is the largest population in Victoria; while migrants in Port Phillip are more likely to have relocated to Australia for lifestyle choices and to access higher education.
(Source: ABS, 2021)