Research highlights people from multicultural backgrounds may experience health disparities due to challenges such as cultural and language barriers, low health literacy, difficulties in navigating the health and human services system, socio-economic challenges and discrimination.
These barriers can contribute to poorer health outcomes and decreased access to culturally appropriate care.
Prevalence of chronic conditions by country of birth
Australians born in some overseas countries have a higher prevalence of dementia, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease than the Australian-born population, particularly for people born in regions such as Polynesia, South Asia and the Middle East (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2023). Recent arrivals may also face different challenges than those who have been in Australia longer.
The health of multicultural communities is a result of many factors, including environmental, economic, genetic and socio-cultural factors in their country of birth and Australia, as well as their migration experience - many of which are unable to be captured consistently in data.
Discrimination and racism experienced by Boroondara residents
The Victorian Population Health Survey 2023 indicates that:
- 16.0% of Boroondara adults experienced discrimination in the past 12 months, a figure similar to metropolitan Melbourne (16.3%)
- 9.2% of Boroondara adults experienced racism during the same period (slightly higher than the 8.0% reported across metropolitan Melbourne).
Research has shown that racism can have a negative impact on both mental and physical health. Victorian adults who frequently experience racism are:
- almost 5 times more likely than those who do not experience racism to have poor mental health
- 2.5 times more likely than those who do not experience racism to have poor physical health (Department of Health, 2023).
Violence against women from migrant and refugee backgrounds
Some studies suggest high prevalence rates of violence against women from migrant and refugee backgrounds, and specific issues of complexity arising from factors such as migration status, cultural differences and language barriers (Women’s Health East 2021).
Multicultural population profile of Boroondara
Most of Boroondara’s population growth is due to overseas migration. The following profile is based on the 2021 Census.
- 32.5% of Boroondara residents were born overseas, compared with 35.7% of Greater Melbourne residents
- 43.6% of Boroondara residents had both parents born overseas, compared with 49.3% of Greater Melbourne residents
- Boroondara residents name more than 150 countries as their place of birth.
The top overseas countries of birth in Boroondara are: China (8.0% of residents), United Kingdom (3.4% of residents), India (2.4% of residents).
Languages spoken in Boroondara households
32.6% of Boroondara households use a language other than English, lower than the Greater Melbourne rate of 37.7%. Of the more than 120 languages spoken in Boroondara households, the most common (after English) are:
- Mandarin (10.4% of Boroondara residents)
- Cantonese (3.0%)
- Greek (2.7%).
Figure 1: Most Boroondara residents who speak a language other than English, also report speaking English well or very well.
Source: 2021 Census
Most of Boroondara’s population growth is due to overseas migration. The following profile is based on the 2021 Census.