# Western Australia vs Northern Territory — 2021 Census comparison

State / Territory comparison · about 1,397 km apart

Western Australia and the Northern Territory are vast regions with very different social makeups. The Northern Territory has a far higher First Nations population, at 26.3%, compared to 3.3% in Western Australia, and far more people speak a First Nations language (60.1% versus 16.0%). Housing also differs sharply; Western Australia has far more separate houses (79.7% versus 66.8%) and larger homes, with 82.2% having three or more bedrooms compared to 66.9% in the Northern Territory. Western Australia is also more populous and has a far higher share of people born overseas at 32.2%.

Everyday life shares some similarities, as both regions are somewhat walkable and have almost identical typical weekly incomes of around $2,214. They also share a similar unemployment rate, sitting between 5.1% and 5.6%. While the gap in the share of people born overseas has narrowed since 2011, the difference in language use has widened, with the Northern Territory now seeing a far higher share of people using another language at home than Western Australia.

## Where they differ most

- First Nations: 22.9 pts higher in Northern Territory
- Population: 2,427,421 larger in Western Australia
- Renting: 20.2 pts higher in Northern Territory
- 3+ bedrooms: 15.2 pts higher in Western Australia
- Other language: 14.0 pts higher in Northern Territory

## Demographics & Identity

| Statistic | Western Australia | Northern Territory | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 2,660,026 | 232,605 | 2,427,421 larger in Western Australia | gap widening |
| Median age | 38 yrs | 33 yrs | 5 yrs older in Western Australia | gap steady |
| First Nations | 3.3% | 26.3% | 22.9 pts higher in Northern Territory | gap steady |
| Aged 65+ | 16.1% | 9.0% | 7.2 pts higher in Western Australia | gap steady |
| Under 15 | 19.0% | 21.0% | 2.0 pts higher in Northern Territory | gap narrowing |
| De facto | 12.2% | 15.3% | 3.1 pts higher in Northern Territory | gap steady |

### Age structure

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Young adults (25–44) | 28.3% | 33.8% | -5.6 |
| Older adults (45–64) | 24.9% | 23.3% | +1.6 |
| Children (0–14) | 19.0% | 21.0% | -2.0 |
| Seniors (65+) | 16.1% | 9.0% | +7.2 |
| Youth (15–24) | 11.7% | 12.9% | -1.2 |

### Marital status

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Married | 47.3% | 41.6% | +5.7 |
| Never married | 36.1% | 44.3% | -8.2 |
| Divorced | 8.8% | 7.4% | +1.5 |
| Widowed | 4.4% | 3.3% | +1.2 |
| Separated | 3.3% | 3.5% | -0.2 |

### Age profile

Share of each region's population by age band and sex.

| Age band | Western Australia male | Western Australia female | Northern Territory male | Northern Territory female |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 0–4 | 3.1% | 3.0% | 3.6% | 3.3% |
| 5–9 | 3.3% | 3.2% | 3.7% | 3.6% |
| 10–14 | 3.3% | 3.1% | 3.5% | 3.3% |
| 15–19 | 3.0% | 2.8% | 3.1% | 2.9% |
| 20–24 | 3.0% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 3.2% |
| 25–29 | 3.3% | 3.3% | 4.4% | 4.6% |
| 30–34 | 3.6% | 3.8% | 4.6% | 4.9% |
| 35–39 | 3.7% | 3.8% | 4.1% | 4.3% |
| 40–44 | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.5% | 3.6% |
| 45–49 | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.2% |
| 50–54 | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.2% | 3.2% |
| 55–59 | 3.0% | 3.1% | 2.9% | 2.8% |
| 60–64 | 2.8% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| 65–69 | 2.4% | 2.6% | 1.9% | 1.7% |
| 70–74 | 2.1% | 2.2% | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| 75–79 | 1.4% | 1.5% | 0.7% | 0.7% |
| 80–84 | 0.9% | 1.1% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| 85+ | 0.7% | 1.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% |

## Ancestry & Birthplace

| Statistic | Western Australia | Northern Territory | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Born overseas | 32.2% | 21.8% | 10.4 pts higher in Western Australia | gap narrowing |

### Country of birth

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Australia | 62.0% | 69.5% | -7.5 |
| England | 7.4% | 2.2% | +5.2 |
| New Zealand | 2.8% | 1.7% | +1.1 |
| Philippines | 1.4% | 2.7% | -1.3 |
| India | 2.3% | 2.2% | +0.1 |
| South Africa | 1.7% | 0.4% | +1.3 |
| Nepal | 0.2% | 1.3% | -1.1 |
| China | 1.1% | 0.7% | +0.3 |
| Italy | 0.7% | 0.2% | +0.5 |
| Vietnam | 0.7% | 0.6% | +0.1 |

### Ancestry

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English | 37.6% | 23.1% | +14.5 |
| Australian | 29.7% | 24.1% | +5.6 |
| Irish | 8.8% | 7.3% | +1.5 |
| Scottish | 8.7% | 6.3% | +2.5 |
| Italian | 5.2% | 1.9% | +3.3 |
| Chinese | 4.4% | 3.0% | +1.4 |
| German | 2.9% | 3.6% | -0.6 |
| Filipino | 1.8% | 3.5% | -1.8 |
| Indian | 2.9% | 2.2% | +0.7 |
| Dutch | 2.0% | 1.1% | +0.9 |
| Greek | 0.6% | 1.8% | -1.2 |
| Vietnamese | 0.9% | 0.7% | +0.1 |

## Language

| Statistic | Western Australia | Northern Territory | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Other language | 18.4% | 32.4% | 14.0 pts higher in Northern Territory | gap widening |
| Limited English | 2.3% | 3.9% | 1.6 pts higher in Northern Territory | gap steady |

### Language used at home

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English only | 75.3% | 57.3% | +18.0 |
| Mandarin | 1.9% | 1.1% | +0.9 |
| Greek | 0.2% | 1.4% | -1.2 |
| Tagalog | 0.7% | 1.3% | -0.7 |
| Italian | 1.0% | 0.3% | +0.7 |
| Vietnamese | 0.9% | 0.7% | +0.2 |
| Punjabi | 0.8% | 0.7% | +0.1 |
| Cantonese | 0.7% | 0.3% | +0.4 |
| Arabic | 0.6% | 0.2% | +0.4 |
| Hindi | 0.4% | 0.4% | +0.0 |

## Religion

| Statistic | Western Australia | Northern Territory | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No religion | 42.9% | 38.5% | 4.5 pts higher in Western Australia | gap widening |

### Religious affiliation

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No religion | 42.9% | 38.5% | +4.5 |
| Christianity | 41.1% | 40.5% | +0.6 |
| Not stated | 8.0% | 12.4% | -4.4 |
| Hinduism | 2.0% | 2.7% | -0.7 |
| Islam | 2.5% | 1.4% | +1.1 |
| Other religions | 1.1% | 2.4% | -1.3 |
| Buddhism | 2.2% | 2.1% | +0.1 |
| Judaism | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.1 |

## Education & Qualifications

| Statistic | Western Australia | Northern Territory | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 58.0% | 49.8% | 8.1 pts higher in Western Australia | gap narrowing |
| Bachelor+ | 23.8% | 21.5% | 2.4 pts higher in Western Australia | gap steady |

### Highest year of school

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 58.0% | 49.8% | +8.1 |
| Year 10 | 19.2% | 16.8% | +2.5 |
| Year 9 or below | 6.7% | 11.0% | -4.4 |
| Year 11 | 8.8% | 11.0% | -2.3 |

### Highest qualification level

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Certificate III / IV | 28.0% | 26.3% | +1.6 |
| Bachelor degree | 25.9% | 22.1% | +3.7 |
| Advanced diploma / diploma | 14.7% | 12.3% | +2.4 |
| Postgraduate degree | 8.0% | 9.1% | -1.1 |
| Graduate diploma / certificate | 3.7% | 3.8% | -0.2 |
| Certificate I / II | 2.6% | 2.7% | -0.2 |

### Field of qualification

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Management & commerce | 17.6% | 16.4% | +1.3 |
| Engineering & related | 17.1% | 13.4% | +3.7 |
| Society & culture | 10.8% | 11.7% | -0.9 |
| Health | 10.6% | 10.6% | +0.0 |
| Education | 8.0% | 7.6% | +0.5 |
| Food, hospitality & personal services | 5.1% | 4.5% | +0.6 |
| Architecture & building | 5.0% | 4.2% | +0.8 |
| Natural & physical sciences | 3.4% | 2.1% | +1.4 |
| Creative arts | 3.2% | 2.2% | +1.1 |
| Agriculture & environment | 2.0% | 2.6% | -0.6 |
| Information technology | 2.5% | 2.3% | +0.1 |

## Income

| Statistic | Western Australia | Northern Territory | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Personal income | $848 | $936 | $88 higher in Northern Territory | gap steady |
| Household income | $1,815 | $2,061 | $246 higher in Northern Territory | gap narrowing |
| Family income | $2,214 | $2,213 |  | gap narrowing |
| High earners | 14.7% | 13.2% | 1.6 pts higher in Western Australia | gap narrowing |
| High-income homes | 23.2% | 25.6% | 2.4 pts higher in Northern Territory | gap steady |

### Household income distribution

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 28.8% | 31.7% | -2.9 |
| $650–$1,499 | 23.8% | 20.6% | +3.2 |
| Under $650 | 14.8% | 11.1% | +3.7 |
| $4,000 or more | 12.6% | 13.3% | -0.6 |
| $3,000–$3,999 | 10.6% | 12.4% | -1.8 |

### Personal income distribution

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Under $650 | 38.1% | 34.8% | +3.3 |
| $650–$1,499 | 28.7% | 27.8% | +0.9 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 19.6% | 21.6% | -2.0 |
| $3,000 or more | 5.9% | 4.0% | +1.9 |

## Health & Disability

| Statistic | Western Australia | Northern Territory | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Health condition | 26.1% | 19.8% | 6.3 pts higher in Western Australia |  |
| Mental health | 8.3% | 5.1% | 3.1 pts higher in Western Australia |  |
| Needs assistance | 4.6% | 3.6% | 1.0 pts higher in Western Australia | gap steady |

### Long-term health conditions reported

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mental health | 8.3% | 5.1% | +3.1 |
| Arthritis | 7.6% | 4.5% | +3.2 |
| Other condition | 7.4% | 6.1% | +1.3 |
| Asthma | 7.3% | 5.6% | +1.7 |
| Diabetes | 4.4% | 4.3% | +0.1 |
| Heart disease | 3.6% | 3.1% | +0.5 |
| Cancer | 2.7% | 1.6% | +1.1 |
| Lung condition | 1.6% | 1.2% | +0.4 |
| Stroke | 0.8% | 0.5% | +0.3 |
| Dementia | 0.7% | 0.4% | +0.3 |

### Number of long-term health conditions

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| None | 65.1% | 68.0% | -3.0 |
| One condition | 18.2% | 14.6% | +3.6 |
| Two conditions | 5.3% | 3.6% | +1.8 |
| Three or more | 2.6% | 1.6% | +1.0 |

## Community Participation

| Statistic | Western Australia | Northern Territory | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Volunteering | 15.9% | 14.1% | 1.9 pts higher in Western Australia | gap widening |
| Unpaid carers | 10.7% | 9.5% | 1.3 pts higher in Western Australia | gap steady |
| Unpaid child care | 28.5% | 30.2% | 1.7 pts higher in Northern Territory | gap steady |
| Defence service | 2.9% | 5.2% | 2.3 pts higher in Northern Territory |  |
| Housework 15h+ | 20.1% | 17.1% | 3.0 pts higher in Western Australia | gap narrowing |

## First Nations

| Statistic | Western Australia | Northern Territory | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 88,693 | 61,115 | 27,578 larger in Western Australia |  |
| Median age | 24 yrs | 26 yrs | 2 yrs older in Northern Territory |  |
| Year 12 | 32.5% | 23.2% | 9.4 pts higher in Western Australia |  |
| Unemployment | 15.9% | 20.8% | 4.9 pts higher in Northern Territory |  |
| Median income | $481 | $323 | $158 higher in Western Australia |  |
| Household income | $1,480 | $1,318 | $162 higher in Western Australia |  |
| Indigenous language | 16.0% | 60.1% | 44.1 pts higher in Northern Territory |  |

## Family & Households

| Statistic | Western Australia | Northern Territory | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Household size | 2.5 | 2.8 | 0.3 larger in Northern Territory | gap steady |
| One-parent | 13.5% | 17.5% | 4.0 pts higher in Northern Territory | gap steady |
| Living alone | 25.4% | 23.8% | 1.6 pts higher in Western Australia | gap steady |

### Family composition

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Couples with children | 58.9% | 58.3% | +0.6 |
| Couples without children | 26.5% | 22.6% | +3.8 |
| One-parent families | 13.5% | 17.5% | -4.0 |
| Other families | 1.1% | 1.6% | -0.4 |

### Household size

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2 people | 33.5% | 30.0% | +3.5 |
| 1 person | 25.4% | 23.8% | +1.6 |
| 3 people | 15.9% | 16.7% | -0.9 |
| 4 people | 15.9% | 14.9% | +1.0 |
| 6 or more | 2.9% | 7.3% | -4.4 |
| 5 people | 6.4% | 7.2% | -0.8 |

## Housing & Dwellings

| Statistic | Western Australia | Northern Territory | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rent | $340 | $325 | $15 higher in Western Australia | gap narrowing |
| Mortgage | $1,842 | $2,000 | $158 higher in Northern Territory | gap widening |
| People / bedroom | 0.80 | 1.00 | 0.20 higher in Northern Territory | gap widening |
| Renting | 27.3% | 47.6% | 20.2 pts higher in Northern Territory | gap steady |
| Owned outright | 29.2% | 15.8% | 13.3 pts higher in Western Australia | gap steady |
| Separate houses | 79.7% | 66.8% | 12.9 pts higher in Western Australia | gap steady |
| 3+ bedrooms | 82.2% | 66.9% | 15.2 pts higher in Western Australia | gap steady |

### How homes are owned or rented

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rented | 27.3% | 47.6% | -20.2 |
| Owned with a mortgage | 40.0% | 30.2% | +9.7 |
| Owned outright | 29.2% | 15.8% | +13.3 |
| Other tenure | 2.1% | 4.2% | -2.1 |
| Not stated | 1.4% | 2.2% | -0.8 |

### Types of homes

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Separate house | 79.7% | 66.8% | +12.9 |
| Flat or apartment | 6.5% | 17.9% | -11.4 |
| Townhouse / semi-detached | 13.0% | 12.7% | +0.3 |
| Other dwelling | 0.6% | 1.7% | -1.1 |

### Bedrooms per home

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 3 bedrooms | 37.5% | 42.1% | -4.6 |
| 4 bedrooms | 38.4% | 19.9% | +18.5 |
| 2 bedrooms | 12.6% | 22.4% | -9.8 |
| 1 bedroom | 3.7% | 7.3% | -3.7 |
| 5 or more | 6.3% | 5.0% | +1.3 |
| Studio / none | 0.3% | 1.2% | -0.9 |

### Weekly rent distribution

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $350–$549 | 38.8% | 31.3% | +7.4 |
| $200–$349 | 34.9% | 22.8% | +12.1 |
| Under $200 | 14.4% | 26.4% | -11.9 |
| $550–$749 | 5.7% | 10.4% | -4.7 |
| $750 or more | 2.4% | 2.5% | -0.1 |

### Monthly mortgage distribution

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $1,800–$2,999 | 34.2% | 38.3% | -4.1 |
| $1,000–$1,799 | 31.4% | 28.0% | +3.4 |
| $3,000 or more | 14.9% | 17.1% | -2.2 |
| Under $1,000 | 13.9% | 11.3% | +2.6 |

## Transport & Vehicles

| Statistic | Western Australia | Northern Territory | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No car | 5.0% | 11.1% | 6.1 pts higher in Northern Territory | gap steady |
| Work from home | 7.5% | 4.2% | 3.3 pts higher in Western Australia | gap widening |
| PT commute | 4.7% | 2.2% | 2.5 pts higher in Western Australia | gap steady |
| PT stops | 14,585 | 768 | 13,817 more in Western Australia |  |
| Stops/1k | 5.48 | 3.30 | 2.18 more in Western Australia |  |
| Departures/1k | 1,623.0 | 505.8 | 1,117.2 more in Western Australia |  |
| PT routes | 407 | 83 | 324 more in Western Australia |  |

### How people get to work

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Car (driver) | 62.1% | 63.4% | -1.3 |
| Walked | 2.2% | 7.6% | -5.4 |
| Worked at home | 7.5% | 4.2% | +3.3 |
| Car (passenger) | 4.6% | 6.6% | -2.0 |
| Bus | 2.9% | 2.1% | +0.8 |
| Bicycle | 0.7% | 2.0% | -1.3 |
| Train | 1.8% | 0.0% | +1.7 |

### Motor vehicles per home

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2 vehicles | 39.6% | 35.3% | +4.3 |
| 1 vehicle | 34.5% | 34.8% | -0.3 |
| 3 vehicles | 13.4% | 12.2% | +1.2 |
| No vehicle | 5.0% | 11.1% | -6.1 |
| 4 or more | 7.6% | 6.6% | +0.9 |

## Migration & Movement

| Statistic | Western Australia | Northern Territory | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Recent movers | 39.0% | 42.0% | 3.0 pts higher in Northern Territory | gap widening |
| Recent arrivals | 10.6% | 21.0% | 10.4 pts higher in Northern Territory | gap widening |

## Jobs & Industry

| Statistic | Western Australia | Northern Territory | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Unemployment | 5.1% | 5.6% | 0.5 pts higher in Northern Territory | gap steady |
| Participation | 63.9% | 61.7% | 2.2 pts higher in Western Australia | gap widening |
| Full-time | 60.2% | 68.7% | 8.5 pts higher in Northern Territory | gap widening |

### Industries people work in

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Public administration & safety | 5.9% | 18.2% | -12.2 |
| Health care & social assistance | 13.6% | 14.9% | -1.3 |
| Education & training | 8.8% | 9.4% | -0.6 |
| Construction | 8.8% | 8.0% | +0.8 |
| Retail trade | 8.8% | 7.2% | +1.5 |
| Mining | 7.5% | 2.4% | +5.1 |
| Accommodation & food | 6.5% | 7.4% | -0.9 |
| Professional & technical | 6.9% | 4.9% | +2.0 |
| Manufacturing | 5.3% | 2.2% | +3.0 |
| Transport & warehousing | 4.5% | 4.0% | +0.5 |
| Other services | 3.9% | 3.9% | 0.0 |
| Administrative & support | 3.1% | 2.9% | +0.1 |

### Occupations people work in

| Category | Western Australia % | Northern Territory % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Professionals | 22.0% | 22.0% | -0.1 |
| Community & personal service | 11.8% | 15.7% | -3.9 |
| Technicians & trades | 15.3% | 13.8% | +1.5 |
| Clerical & administrative | 12.1% | 13.2% | -1.1 |
| Managers | 12.3% | 12.9% | -0.6 |
| Labourers | 9.4% | 8.5% | +0.9 |
| Sales workers | 7.8% | 6.5% | +1.3 |
| Machinery operators & drivers | 7.7% | 5.2% | +2.5 |

## Economy & Advantage

| Statistic | Western Australia | Northern Territory | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ERP | 3,044,382 | 264,556 | 2,779,826 higher in Western Australia |  |
| Growth | 10.7% | 6.6% | 4.1 pts higher in Western Australia |  |

## Environment & Climate

| Statistic | Western Australia | Northern Territory | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rainfall | 185 | 362 | 177 higher in Northern Territory |  |
| Max temp | 31.3 | 34.9 | 3.6 higher in Northern Territory |  |
| Min temp | 15.6 | 20.0 | 4.4 higher in Northern Territory |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Western Australia | Northern Territory | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 5.4 | 5.1 | 0.3 higher in Western Australia |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 5.2 | 5.0 | 0.3 more in Western Australia |  |
| 15-min city | 64.0% | 61.8% | 2.1 pts higher in Western Australia |  |
| Walk to shops | 61.5% | 64.0% | 2.5 pts higher in Northern Territory |  |
| Walk to transit | 80.9% | 68.9% | 12.0 pts higher in Western Australia |  |
| Walk to school | 71.9% | 70.5% | 1.4 pts higher in Western Australia |  |
| Walk to a park | 88.9% | 81.6% | 7.3 pts higher in Western Australia |  |
| Walk to health | 48.5% | 49.5% | 1.0 pts higher in Northern Territory |  |
| Amenities/1k | 16.6 | 19.0 | 2.4 more in Northern Territory |  |
| Intersections/km² | 0 | 0 |  |  |
| Mean slope | 5.7% | 3.7% | 2.1 pts higher in Western Australia |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/ste/5/western-australia/vs/7/northern-territory