According to the 2016 ABS Census, the area is home 111,588 people.
In 2016, 46% who lived in the area were born overseas, while 27.5% came from countries where English was not their first language as seen from the table below.
Australian-Born & Overseas Born Population, 2016 ABS Census, Usual Resident Population
There were 56,652 people born in predominantly non-English speaking countries across the four lower north shore. The table below shows numbers born overseas for each of the four LGA’s.
Migrants from non-English speaking countries have come at various times, and the table below shows that 15,541 have come in the 5-year period before the latest census. We can refer to them as “new arrivals”. These new arrivals make up about 27.4% of the total people born in predominantly non-English speaking countries. Clearly, the LNS is an attractive area for new arrivals to come to. The table below breaks down the numbers and percentages for people born in non-English speaking (NES) countries for the four LNS LGA’s and how long they have been in Australia.
People born in non-English speaking (NES) countries for the four LNS LGA’s – ABS Census 2016 Usual Resident Population
The LNS’s newest and fastest growing arrivals are all from Asian countries including China, India, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Iran and Taiwan. Numbers from some English-speaking countries such as the United Kingdom and New Zealand in some LGA’s have dropped. The Top 20 Lower North Shore Birthplaces of residence ranked by size are included below.
It clearly shows the area’s cultural and linguistic diversity. In the tables below, English Speaking countries are marked with an asterisk.
Looking specifically at the four LGA’s the Top 10 Birthplaces of residence ranked by size are included below for Lane Cove, Mosman, North Sydney and Willoughby separately:
Lane Cove – Birthplace – Ranked by size – Top 10
Mosman – Birthplace – Ranked by size – Top 10
North Sydney – Birthplace – Ranked by size – Top 10
Willoughby – Birthplace – Ranked by size – Top 10
While the LNS has a small number of humanitarian refugees, most new arrivals have immigrated under business, skilled migration or family visas, or are international students.
To look in more detail at each LGA’s demographic data, you can look at area Community Profiles based on the 2016, 2011, 2006, 2001, 1996 and 1991 Censuses of Population and Housing. These include information on population, age structure, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, income, qualifications, occupations, employment, unemployment, disability, disadvantage, volunteering, childcare, family structure, household structure, housing tenure, mortgage and rental payments, and the size and type of the dwellings people live in. The Community Profile presents this information in clear maps, tables and charts with concise factual commentary to answer three important questions:
- What are the characteristics of the people who live here?
- How are they changing?
- How do they compare to other areas?
This ABS Census data is at: