Population & Migration
The State of Victoria has been enriched by the presence of people from all over the world. 23.8% of Victoria's population were born overseas. 43.69% of Victorians were either born overseas, or have a parent who was born overseas. Victorians come from more than 200 countries, speak more than 230 languages and dialects and follow more than 120 religious faiths. Most of the overseas-born Victorians came to Australia as migrants hoping to find a better life for themselves and their children. A significant number came to Australia as refugees – first Europeans displaced by the Second World War, then refugees from the war in Indo-China and more recently refugees from conflicts in the republics of the former Yugoslavia, the Horn of Africa, the Middle East and Afghanistan.
find out more about Victoria's multicultural history >Migration strategies
Migrants and refugees have made an enormous contribution to the Victorian community in areas such as business and politics, education and research and sports and the arts.
more >Population Policies
The Victorian Government's population policy explains the government's vision for growing Victoria's population in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner.
more >Census Reporting Tools
The VMC has produced a number of useful resources that expolre Victoria's population diversity. These include 75 community fact sheets, 75 detailed Community Profiles, a publication about diversity broken down by local government area and data cubes from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
more >Diversity in Local Councils
This publication by the Victorian Multicultural Commission provides data on birthplace, language, ancestry, and religion by Local Government Areas. It is an invaluable guide for local government planners, community organisations, researchers and those in the broader community concerned with designing and delivering services that are accessible and equitable.
more >DIAC Publication Project
The People of Victoria: Statistics from the 2006 Census is a major compilation of statistics on birthplace, language, religion and ancestry from the 2006 Census.
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