People in Greater Sydney who were born in Malaysia

2016 Census Country of birth QuickStats
Area code 1GSYD by 5203
People 28,471
Male 13,252
Female 15,219
Australian citizen 52.8%
Not an Australian citizen 45.9%
Families 13,821
Couples with children 7,307
Couples without children 5,179
One parent families 1,030
Other families 310
All private dwellings 18,821
Median monthly mortgage repayment $2,200
Median weekly rent paid $500

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People

demographics & education | cultural & language diversity | employment

Demographics & education

People Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Male 13,252 46.5 862,759 48.6 1,365,474 49.6 2,376,766 49.3
Female 15,219 53.5 910,741 51.4 1,386,695 50.4 2,447,221 50.7

In the 2016 Census, there were 28,471 people in Greater Sydney who were born in Malaysia. Of these 46.5% were male and 53.5% were female.

View the data quality statements for: Place of Usual Residence (PURP) Country of birth of person (BPLP)

Age
People
Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
0-14 years 1,077 3.8 86,605 4.9 772,485 28.1 900,297 18.7
15-24 years 2,914 10.2 169,162 9.5 424,910 15.4 629,103 13.0
25-34 years 4,997 17.6 357,835 20.2 362,766 13.2 774,405 16.1
35-44 years 5,685 20.0 320,272 18.1 333,049 12.1 696,037 14.4
45-54 years 4,245 14.9 286,432 16.2 302,752 11.0 627,580 13.0
55-64 years 4,798 16.9 244,706 13.8 245,898 8.9 524,011 10.9
65 years and over 4,740 16.7 308,485 17.4 310,306 11.3 672,559 13.9
Median age 44 -- 43 -- 29 -- 36 --

Of the population born in Malaysia who usually live in Greater Sydney, 3.8% were aged 0 - 14 years and 16.7% were aged 65 years and over. The median age of people in Greater Sydney who were born in Malaysia was 44 years.

View the data quality statement for Age (AGEP)
Registered marital status
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Married 16,028 58.5 997,933 59.2 823,877 41.6 1,934,132 49.3
Separated 509 1.9 49,653 2.9 53,089 2.7 111,495 2.8
Divorced 1,463 5.3 124,745 7.4 150,149 7.6 298,436 7.6
Widowed 916 3.3 84,892 5.0 84,645 4.3 185,646 4.7
Never married 8,476 30.9 429,669 25.5 867,919 43.8 1,393,987 35.5

Of people in Greater Sydney aged 15 years and over who were born in Malaysia, 58.5% were married, 1.9% were separated, and 5.3% were divorced.

View the data quality statement for Registered marital status (MSTP)
Education Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Pre-school 58 0.2 5,886 0.3 77,584 2.8 83,920 1.7
Primary 550 1.9 45,248 2.6 343,605 12.5 391,438 8.1
Secondary 836 2.9 54,387 3.1 247,369 9.0 303,797 6.3
University or tertiary institution 2,454 8.6 132,746 7.5 159,654 5.8 294,022 6.1
Technical or further education 634 2.2 45,636 2.6 46,376 1.7 92,778 1.9
Other 614 2.2 33,740 1.9 16,104 0.6 50,247 1.0
Institution attended, type not stated 304 1.1 29,497 1.7 49,081 1.8 313,981 6.5
Not attending an educational institution 23,006 80.8 1,426,351 80.4 1,812,384 65.9 3,293,820 68.3

Of the population born in Malaysia who usually live in Greater Sydney, 19.2% were attending an educational institution. There were 1.9% in primary school, 2.9% in secondary school and 10.9% in a tertiary or technical institution.

View the data quality statement for Educational institution attendee status (TYSTAP)
Level of highest educational attainment
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Bachelor Degree level and above 14,485 52.9 610,982 36.2 493,022 24.9 1,110,999 28.3
Advanced Diploma and Diploma level 3,021 11.0 164,742 9.8 197,483 10.0 365,989 9.3
Certificate level IV 318 1.2 27,312 1.6 64,874 3.3 92,906 2.4
Certificate level III 843 3.1 119,077 7.1 254,350 12.8 379,732 9.7
Year 12 4,186 15.3 323,231 19.2 347,883 17.6 678,975 17.3
Year 11 564 2.1 37,465 2.2 81,053 4.1 120,047 3.1
Year 10 1,149 4.2 111,426 6.6 248,510 12.6 366,932 9.4
Certificate level II 15 0.1 826 0.0 1,277 0.1 2,142 0.1
Certificate level I 0 0.0 188 0.0 145 0.0 336 0.0
Year 9 or below 1,032 3.8 130,533 7.7 140,516 7.1 277,300 7.1
No educational attainment 244 0.9 42,344 2.5 3,941 0.2 47,465 1.2
Not stated 739 2.7 65,877 3.9 78,995 4.0 358,653 9.1

Of the population born in Malaysia who usually live in Greater Sydney, 15.3% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 4.2% had completed a Certificate III or IV and 11.0% had completed an Advanced Diploma or Diploma.

View the data quality statement for Level of highest educational attainment (HEAP)

Cultural & language diversity

Year of arrival Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Before 1941 24 0.1 2,297 0.1 -- -- -- --
1941 - 1950 41 0.1 17,294 1.0 -- -- -- --
1951 - 1960 240 0.8 59,361 3.3 -- -- -- --
1961 - 1970 1,391 4.9 127,789 7.2 -- -- -- --
1971 - 1980 3,407 12.0 153,149 8.6 -- -- -- --
1981 - 1990 7,447 26.2 255,978 14.4 -- -- -- --
1991 - 2000 3,638 12.8 284,326 16.0 -- -- -- --
2001 - 2005 2,689 9.4 176,759 10.0 -- -- -- --
2006 - 2010 3,313 11.6 257,628 14.5 -- -- -- --
2011 - 2016 5,399 19.0 379,584 21.4 -- -- -- --
Born in Australia -- -- -- -- 2,752,169 -- -- --

In Greater Sydney of people who were born in Malaysia, 19.0% arrived in Australia from 2011 - 2016 and 11.6% from 2006 - 2010.

View the data quality statement for Year of arrival in Australia (YARP)
Citizenship Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Australian citizen 15,045 52.8 1,089,417 61.4 2,692,002 97.8 3,835,026 79.5
Not an Australian citizen 13,062 45.9 654,658 36.9 20,867 0.8 680,121 14.1

In Greater Sydney of people who were born in Malaysia, 52.8% were Australian citizens.

View the data quality statement for Australian citizenship (CITP)
Birthplace of spouse or partner Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Spouse or partner born overseas 13,054 80.1 816,825 79.2 189,870 20.0 1,011,345 50.8
Spouse or partner born in Australia 2,749 16.9 189,869 18.4 739,382 77.7 932,356 46.8

In Greater Sydney of people who were born in Malaysia and had a spouse or partner, 80.1% had a spouse or partner who was born overseas and 16.9% had a spouse or partner born in Australia.

Note: Total does not include those spouses or partners who did not state their country of birth.

View the data quality statements for: Country of birth of person (BPLP) Relationship in household (RLHP) Family/household reference person indicator (RPIP)

Religious affiliation, top responses
Results may include 'nfd' for 'not further defined'
Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Buddhism 7,160 25.1 141,902 8.0 42,144 1.5 186,037 3.9
No Religion, so described 6,458 22.7 450,206 25.4 727,074 26.4 1,188,280 24.6
Catholic 3,579 12.6 386,109 21.8 809,313 29.4 1,213,126 25.1
Anglican 1,655 5.8 100,561 5.7 471,178 17.1 580,341 12.0
Hinduism 1,196 4.2 137,083 7.7 31,901 1.2 170,161 3.5

In Greater Sydney of people who were born in Malaysia, the most common responses to the religion question were Buddhism 25.1%, No Religion, so described 22.7%, Catholic 12.6%, Anglican 5.8% and Hinduism 4.2%.

View the data quality statement for Religious affiliation (RELP)
English language proficiency Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Speaks English only 9,094 32.0 508,434 28.7 2,275,954 82.7 2,816,815 58.4
Speaks other language and speaks English:  null  null  null  null  null  null  null  null
Very well or well 17,413 61.2 993,384 56.0 400,788 14.6 1,412,427 29.3
Not well or not at all 1,779 6.3 258,109 14.6 50,789 1.8 313,482 6.5

In Greater Sydney of people who were born in Malaysia, 32.0% spoke English only at home. A further 61.2% spoke another language but also spoke English very well or well.

View the data quality statement for Proficiency in spoken English/language (ENGLP)

Employment

Employment
Labour force, people aged 15 years and over
Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Worked full-time 11,687 64.0 643,999 61.5 822,456 61.0 1,480,218 61.2
Worked part-time 4,765 26.1 282,494 27.0 393,250 29.2 682,605 28.2
Away from work 653 3.6 44,866 4.3 62,558 4.6 109,892 4.5
Unemployed 1,170 6.4 74,976 7.2 69,509 5.2 146,187 6.0
Not in the labour force 8,935 32.6 624,205 37.0 615,924 31.1 1,266,780 32.3

In Greater Sydney of people who were born in Malaysia and who were in the labour force, 64.0% worked full-time, 26.1% worked part-time and 6.4% were unemployed.

The ABS Labour Force Survey provides the official estimates of Australia's unemployment rate. More information about Census and labour force status is provided in Understanding the Census and Census Data.

View the data quality statement for Labour force status (LFSP)
Employment - hours worked
Labour force, people aged 15 years and over
Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
1-15 hours per week 1,527 8.9 81,481 8.4 146,070 11.4 229,765 10.1
16-24 hours per week 1,849 10.8 110,760 11.4 122,462 9.6 235,495 10.4
25-34 hours per week 1,385 8.1 90,253 9.3 124,718 9.8 217,349 9.6
35-39 hours per week 3,463 20.2 217,395 22.4 217,896 17.0 439,866 19.4
40 hours or more per week 8,230 48.1 426,603 43.9 604,561 47.3 1,040,349 45.8

In Greater Sydney of people who were born in Malaysia and who were employed, 48.1% worked 40 hours or more per week and 20.2% worked 35-39 hours per week.

View the data quality statement for Hours worked (HRSP)
Occupation, top responses
Employed people aged 15 years and over
Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Professionals 7,425 43.4 267,334 27.5 326,606 25.6 597,798 26.3
Clerical and Administrative Workers 2,517 14.7 126,816 13.1 201,249 15.7 331,135 14.6
Managers 2,403 14.0 129,895 13.4 179,474 14.0 311,762 13.7
Technicians and Trades Workers 1,227 7.2 107,961 11.1 153,990 12.0 265,056 11.7
Sales Workers 1,079 6.3 74,347 7.7 128,590 10.1 205,051 9.0

In Greater Sydney of people who were born in Malaysia, the most common responses for occupation were Professionals 43.4%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 14.7%, Managers 14.0%, Technicians and Trades Workers 7.2% and Sales Workers 6.3%.

View the data quality statement for Occupation (OCCP)
Industry of employment, top responses
Employed people aged 15 years and over
Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) 971 5.7 36,255 3.7 39,608 3.1 76,600 3.4
Banking 917 5.4 28,536 2.9 27,727 2.2 56,599 2.5
Computer System Design and Related Services 667 3.9 35,724 3.7 21,499 1.7 57,462 2.5
Cafes and Restaurants 609 3.6 36,113 3.7 20,871 1.6 57,398 2.5
Accounting Services 524 3.1 15,619 1.6 17,707 1.4 33,513 1.5

In Greater Sydney of people who were born in Malaysia, the most common responses for industry of employment were Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) 5.7%, Banking 5.4%, Computer System Design and Related Services 3.9%, Cafes and Restaurants 3.6% and Accounting Services 3.1%.

View the data quality statement for Industry of employment (INDP)
Median weekly income
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Personal 886 -- 655 -- 780 -- 719 --
Family 2,488 -- 1,888 -- 2,239 -- 1,988 --
Household 2,278 -- 1,805 -- 1,945 -- 1,750 --

In Greater Sydney of people who were born in Malaysia, the personal weekly median income was $886. Family median weekly income was $2,488 and Household median weekly income was $2,278.

Median personal weekly income for persons aged 15 years and over born in the selected country. Excludes those who did not state an income.

Family for the selected country of birth is determined by the reference person and/or their spouse/partner's response to country of birth. Median family income excludes families where at least one family member aged 15 years and over did not state an income.

Household for the selected country of birth is determined by the response of any household member (enumerated in the dwelling) to country of birth. Median household income excludes households where at least one member aged 15 years and over did not state an income.

View the data quality statements for: Total personal income (INCP) Total family income (FINF) Total household income (HIND)

Travel to work
Employed people aged 15 years and over
Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Car 7,785 45.5 498,072 51.3 779,343 61.0 1,291,452 56.8
Bus or train 5,135 30.0 246,569 25.4 181,710 14.2 431,820 19.0
Other 2,140 12.5 117,542 12.1 133,413 10.4 253,083 11.1

In Greater Sydney 45.5% of employed people who were born in Malaysia travelled to work on census day by car, while 30.0% travelled by bus or train.

View the data quality statement for Method of travel to work (MTWP)
Unpaid work
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Did unpaid domestic work (last week) 20,543 75.0 1,116,619 66.2 1,484,636 75.0 2,628,461 67.0
Cared for child/children (last two weeks) 7,438 27.2 492,638 29.2 568,669 28.7 1,073,085 27.3
Provided unpaid assistance to a person with a disability (last two weeks) 2,419 8.8 181,074 10.7 248,166 12.5 435,993 11.1
Did voluntary work through an organisation or group (last 12 months) 5,854 21.4 240,902 14.3 407,311 20.6 653,910 16.7

In Greater Sydney 75.0% of people who were born in Malaysia did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, and 27.2% cared for a child or children in the two weeks before the census.

View the data quality statements for: Unpaid domestic work (DOMP) Unpaid child care (CHCAREP) Unpaid assistance (UNCAREP) Voluntary work (VOLWP)

Unpaid domestic work, number of hours
People aged 15 years and over
Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Less than 5 hours per week 7,084 25.9 367,781 21.8 558,198 28.2 934,749 23.8
5 to 14 hours per week 7,607 27.8 414,846 24.6 542,343 27.4 966,678 24.6
15 to 29 hours per week 3,271 11.9 182,707 10.8 221,491 11.2 408,730 10.4
30 hours or more per week 2,575 9.4 151,288 9.0 162,598 8.2 318,303 8.1

In Greater Sydney of people who were born in Malaysia and who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the census, 27.8% worked 5 to 14 hours, 11.9% worked 15 to 29 hours and 9.4% worked 30 hours or more.

View the data quality statement for Unpaid domestic work, number of hours (DOMP)

Families

family composition | employment status of couple families

Family composition

For information on how migrant families are classified, see the User guide for QuickStats

Family composition Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Couple family without children 5,179 37.5 248,233 34.3 162,998 32.2 416,588 33.4
Couple family with children 7,307 52.9 379,181 52.4 232,043 45.8 617,424 49.5
One parent family 1,030 7.5 85,758 11.8 99,641 19.7 190,048 15.2
Other family 310 2.2 10,987 1.5 11,500 2.3 22,992 1.8
Families with a child under 5 2,332 16.9 133,132 18.4 92,280 18.2 225,411 18.1
Families with a child aged 0-15 years 4,956 35.9 288,313 39.8 211,928 41.9 500,245 40.1

These statistics are for families in Greater Sydney. They are for families where the reference person and/or their spouse or partner was born in Malaysia. Of these families, 52.9% were couple families with children, 37.5% were couple families without children and 7.5% were one parent families.

Note: Totals for families with a child under 5 and for families with a child aged 0-15 years does not include those families where the reference person and/or their spouse/partner did not state their country of birth.

View the data quality statement for Family composition (FMCF)

Employment status of couple families

Employment status of couple families
Labour force, people aged 15 years and over
Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Both employed, worked full-time 3,420 27.4 150,165 23.9 102,682 26.0 254,297 24.6
Both employed, worked part-time 524 4.2 25,055 4.0 13,168 3.3 38,580 3.7
One employed full-time, one part-time 2,225 17.8 108,863 17.4 98,265 24.9 208,421 20.2
One employed full-time, other not working 2,474 19.8 116,966 18.6 54,412 13.8 172,625 16.7
One employed part-time, other not working 775 6.2 42,288 6.7 19,033 4.8 61,943 6.0
Both not working 1,975 15.8 124,872 19.9 61,294 15.5 190,298 18.4
Other (includes away from work) 518 4.2 29,021 4.6 21,544 5.5 51,219 5.0
Labour force status not stated (by one or both parents in a couple family) 563 4.5 30,185 4.8 24,643 6.2 56,642 5.5

These statistics are for families in Greater Sydney. They are for families where the reference person and/or their spouse or partner was born in Malaysia. Of these families, 27.4% of families had both parents working full-time, 17.8% of families had one parent working full-time and one parent working part-time, and 15.8% of families stated that both parents were not working.

View the data quality statement for Labour force status of parents / partners in families (LFSF)

Dwellings

dwelling structure | mortgage & rent | household composition

Dwelling structure

For information on how migrant households are classified, see the User guide for QuickStats

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households

Dwelling structure
Occupied private dwellings
Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Separate house 9,250 49.1 465,541 52.0 749,432 63.3 924,225 56.9
Semi-detached, row or terrace house, townhouse etc 2,679 14.2 125,630 14.0 166,719 14.1 227,235 14.0
Flat or apartment 6,742 35.8 294,775 32.9 257,416 21.7 456,231 28.1
Other dwelling 76 0.4 4,892 0.5 6,081 0.5 9,132 0.6

These statistics are for occupied private dwellings in Greater Sydney. For the dwellings that were occupied on census night by a person or persons who were born in Malaysia, 49.1% were a separate house, 35.8% were a flat or apartment, and 14.2% were a semi-detached, row or terrace house, townhouse etc.

View the data quality statement for Dwelling structure (STRD)
Number of bedrooms
Occupied private dwellings
Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
None (includes bedsitters) 160 0.9 7,294 0.8 6,104 0.5 12,812 0.8
1 bedroom 1,406 7.5 66,976 7.5 61,993 5.2 118,881 7.3
2 bedrooms 4,879 25.9 240,576 26.9 252,576 21.3 402,675 24.8
3 bedrooms 5,365 28.5 285,866 31.9 423,356 35.8 548,987 33.8
4 or more bedrooms 6,714 35.7 273,749 30.6 418,594 35.4 501,256 30.9
Number of bedrooms not stated 294 1.6 20,299 2.3 21,456 1.8 39,262 2.4

These statistics are for occupied private dwellings in Greater Sydney. For the dwellings that were occupied on census night by a person or persons who were born in Malaysia, 25.9% had two bedrooms, 28.5% had three bedrooms and 35.7% had four or more bedrooms.

View the data quality statement for Number of bedrooms in a private dwelling (BEDD)

Mortgage & rent

Mortgage and rent
Occupied private dwellings
Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
Owned outright 6,111 32.5 235,889 26.4 348,002 29.4 472,635 29.1
Owned with a mortgage 6,954 37.0 293,690 32.8 447,960 37.8 539,917 33.2
Rented 5,354 28.5 336,770 37.6 353,652 29.9 553,249 34.1
Other tenure type 84 0.4 5,759 0.6 9,965 0.8 14,183 0.9
Tenure type not stated 309 1.6 22,653 2.5 24,492 2.1 43,899 2.7
Median monthly mortgage repayment 2,200 -- 2,167 -- 2,167 -- 2,167 --
Median weekly rent paid 500 -- 460 -- 445 -- 440 --

These statistics are for occupied private dwellings in Greater Sydney. For the dwellings that were occupied on census night by a person or persons who were born in Malaysia, 32.5% were owned outright, 37.0% were owned with a mortgage and 28.5% were rented. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,200 and the median weekly rent paid was $500.

Median monthly mortgage repayment relates only to occupied private dwellings that are owned with a mortgage (including those being purchased under a rent/buy scheme). It excludes 'visitor only' and 'other non-classifiable' households and dwellings that did not state a monthly repayment value.

Median weekly rent paid relates to occupied private dwellings being rented (including rent-free accommodation). It excludes 'visitor only' and 'other non-classifiable' households and dwellings that did not state a weekly payment value.

View the data quality statements for: Tenure type (TEND) Rent weekly payments (RNTD) Mortgage monthly repayments (MRED)

Household composition

Household composition Born in Malaysia % Born in Malaysia All overseas born % All overseas born Australian born % Australian born Total % Total
One family households 13,992 74.4 670,232 74.9 892,593 75.4 1,146,625 70.6
Multiple family households 658 3.5 38,937 4.4 42,205 3.6 49,031 3.0
Single (or lone) person households 2,734 14.5 135,785 15.2 206,872 17.5 351,423 21.6
Group households 1,435 7.6 49,819 5.6 42,400 3.6 76,795 4.7

All occupants of a private dwelling complete one census form and are counted as a household. 'Born in Malaysia' includes households in Greater Sydney where at least one person was born in Malaysia. Of those households, 74.4% were one family households and 14.5% were lone person households.

View the data quality statement for Household composition (HHCD)

Small random adjustments have been made to all cell values to protect the confidentiality of data. These adjustments may cause the sum of rows or columns to differ by small amounts from the table totals. For further information, go to the User Guide for QuickStats.

Data reported for Australia and Other Territories now includes Norfolk Island, following an amendment to the Acts Interpretation Act, 1901. Because Norfolk Island has not previously been included in the Census, any 2011 benchmarks will not include Norfolk Island.