How language data can inform public health policy - the Sydney version

The current outbreak of COVID-19 cases in Sydney has some close parallels to the second wave that hit Melbourne last year. Not only is the Sydney outbreak proving difficult to control, but it appears that public health messages are not reaching multicultural communities (CALD). This is particularly true where English proficiency is poor. This blog is essentially a Sydney version of one that I wrote last year about Melbourne. It looks at the main languages spoken in Sydney, highlighting those with poor English proficiency, and their spatial distribution in the metropolitan area.

COVID-19 cases in Sydney

At 24th August 2021, NSW had recorded 11,559 cases of COVID-19, as recorded in the previous four weeks. The overwhelming majority of these were in the Sydney metropolitan area. Within Sydney, cases were concentrated in the western suburbs, particularly in an arc across three LGAs from Canterbury-Bankstown, through Cumberland and out to Blacktown. Together, these three LGAs account for just over half of COVID-19 cases in the Sydney metropolitan area. They are also LGAs where CALD communities comprise a significant proportion of the population. Census data shows that more than 60% of the population in both Cumberland and Canterbury-Bankstown speak a language other than English at home.

Languages spoken in Sydney

In 2016, there were more than 200 languages spoken in Greater Sydney, and almost 36% of people speak a language other than English in the home. A total of 313,480 persons have poor English proficiency, comprising 6.5% of the population. However this differs widely amongst CALD communities.

The table below shows the main languages (other than English) spoken in Greater Sydney in 2016, and the proportion of speakers with poor English proficiency. This is defined as people who speak English not well, or not at all. 

Excluding English, Mandarin is the most common language spoken at home in Greater Sydney. There are 228,980 speakers, 28.5% of which have poor English proficiency. Arabic and Cantonese are the next most common languages. Of the main CALD communities, Korean speakers have the highest proportion with poor English proficiency (33.2%), followed by Vietnamese (32.7%).

Vietnamese and Korean speakers in Sydney

There are 32,430 Vietnamese speakers with poor English proficiency across Greater Sydney. The equivalent figure for Korean speakers is 19,210. The map below uses the bivariate technique to show their spatial distribution by SA2. This is an effective way of demonstrating how different CALD communities live in different parts of the metropolitan area. Purple shaded areas represent higher numbers of Vietnamese speakers, whereas Korean speakers are more numerous in blue shaded areas. The darker shades of blue have the highest numbers of both Vietnamese and Korean speakers with poor English proficiency. 

The spatial distribution of Vietnamese and Korean speakers is quite different. Both communities show strong concentrations, but they are in different parts of the metropolitan area. Vietnamese speakers with poor English proficiency are concentrated in the south western suburbs, with smaller pockets in the Blacktown LGA and the inner west. The SA2 with the highest number of Vietnamese speakers with poor English proficiency is Cabramatta - Lansvale (4,332). This represents 45% of Vietnamese speakers in that SA2, well above the average for metropolitan Sydney. Other SA2s with significant numbers include Canley Vale - Canley Heights (3,128) and Cabramatta West - Mount Pritchard (1,824).

Korean speakers with poor English proficiency are more likely to be located in established western suburbs, but also across the north and north west. The SA2 with the highest number is Lidcombe (1,609 speakers), followed by Strathfield (1,158). Both these SA2s are in the established band of western suburbs. This part of Sydney, which covers much of the Cumberland and Canterbury-Bankstown LGAs, has a higher number of both Korean and Vietnamese speakers with poor English proficiency. There is another smaller concentration around the CBD and inner south.

As mentioned above, around half of the current COVID cases in Sydney are located in the LGAs of Blacktown, Cumberland and Canterbury-Bankstown. Their boundaries are indicated in red on the map and there is clear overlap with SA2s that have higher numbers of Vietnamese and Korean speakers with poor English proficiency. Of course there are many languages spoken in these areas - this blog is merely illustrative of the issue by looking at two key languages. With regard to public health messaging, this data ensures that the right areas are targeted with relevant messaging in key languages. This includes printed and online material, as well as the involvement of community leaders to overcome any cultural barriers.

Summary

There are more than 200 languages spoken by the population in Greater Sydney and more than 313,000 people have a poor level of English proficiency. On its own, language spoken provides a good basis for determining how to engage with CALD communities, but combining this with proficiency in English provides a more complete picture. Around one-third of both Vietnamese and Korean speakers in Greater Sydney have poor English proficiency. Vietnamese speakers are more likely to live in the south western suburbs, whereas the Korean population live in the established west, as well as the north and north western suburbs. This provides a basis upon which to develop more localised responses to the current COVID-19 crisis in Sydney.