They come from across the world – but where do migrants settle in Sydney?

March 9, 2026 — 11:30am

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Sydney is often framed by its regions – the northern beaches, the western suburbs and the shire, to name a few. But the city’s rich migrant geography gets less attention.

Waves of immigration have made Sydney one of the world’s most multicultural cities: more than four in 10 of its residents were born overseas.

Analysis of census data by this masthead reveals distinctive patterns of settlement according to country of birth. Much as a tree’s growth circles reveal its age and health, these patterns of migrant settlement help tell the city’s story.

Nearly 5 per cent of Sydneysiders were born in China. It was the most common overseas country of birth in a swath of suburbs that fan out around Ryde and Macquarie Park in Sydney’s north. Many Chinese-born residents also live near the Georges River in the city’s south – in Hurstville, more than 30 per cent of the population was born in mainland China.

Almost 4 per cent of Sydney’s population was born in India. It was the most common overseas country of birth in a wide corridor of suburbs stretching north-west from Parramatta to Box Hill and Marsden Park. In the Parramatta-North area, 38 per cent of the population was Indian-born, the highest percentage from a single overseas country anywhere in the city.

In a clump of south-west Sydney suburbs, Vietnam was the most common overseas country of birth. The highest share was in Cabramatta-Lansvale, where 36.1 per cent were born in Vietnam. A little further........

© The Sydney Morning Herald