Australia is an ethnically diverse nation. People from some culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds can face greater challenges when navigating the health-care system than people who do not identify as CALD. These can include language and cultural barriers, such as not knowing where to seek help or how to access services. Understanding patterns of disease within CALD populations is important to being able to address the health needs of the CALD population in Australia.

This report uses linked Census, death registrations and NHS data to explore 3 commonly reported health outcomes in conjunction with the range of CALD information collected in these data. The CALD variables available were: country of birth of person, country of birth of parents, language spoken at home, proficiency in spoken English, religious affiliation, ancestry and year of arrival in Australia. Two of the health outcomes selected – self-reported health status and the proportion with a chronic condition – were from the NHS, and the third – all-cause mortality – from death registrations.