There are multiple measures of cultural diversity in the People matter survey – country of birth, cultural identity, main language spoken at home and religion. Victoria has a greater multicultural population than Australia overall.
While we have seen incremental growth since 2021, People matter survey results show that culturally diverse respondents are under-represented in the VPS when compared to similar measures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
In workplace experiences, some groups within the culturally diverse community show lower results. Respondents with Middle Eastern or African backgrounds report lower agreement with inclusion statements. Respondents of African descent report higher rates of discrimination.
Speaks a language other than English^
Born in a country where English is not main language
Cultural identity
Religion
Percentages are shown for the Victorian Public Service (VPS), Victoria, and Australia.
Subtotal (with religion)
Buddhism
Christianity
Hinduism
Islam
Judaism
Other religion
No religion
Prefer not to say / Not stated
VPS with religion decreased by 2.6 percentage points from 2021.
Representation within different parts of the VPS
Anecdotal evidence shows fewer culturally diverse people in some roles and levels.
These include:
Overall, the majority of culturally diverse respondents agreed that their work environment was socially and emotionally safe. However, some cultural groups were less likely to agree that their workplace is culturally safe and inclusive. For example, Middle Eastern and African groups had lower agreement with these statements:
When looking at the VPS respondents from culturally diverse backgrounds who said they experienced discrimination in the previous 12 months. Discrimination was most common among African respondents. Discrimination was also higher than average for culturally diverse respondents who were born in Australia.
In 2025, among respondents who had experienced discrimination:
The People matter survey showed that there were groups where respondents were more likely to list cultural background as a barrier to success when compared to the VPS average. These groups included:
Notes
People matter survey disclosure is voluntary. There are data gaps. These gaps limit the ability to fully assess the cultural makeup of the VPS.
The culturally diverse group includes a small proportion of respondents who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and/or speak Australian Indigenous languages. Respondents may select more than one response about their culture or language spoken.
The Barring Djinang First Peoples Workforce Development Framework 2024 to 2028 sets out the VPS dedicated approach to improving First Peoples workforce outcomes.
Sources