90,939
Higher than 90% of capital city areas.
The number of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
Greater Sydney · Capital City
First Nations in Greater Sydney
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities — how many people identify as First Nations, and how they fare on age, schooling, work, income and language. From the ABS 2021 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Profile; the ABS notes these counts are an undercount.
Some 90,939 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in Greater Sydney, making it one of the largest populations of its kind in the country. This group is generally younger than the wider population, but they show strong outcomes in education, jobs, and pay compared to other areas.
90,939
- 1–2: 7 areas
- 2–2: 0 areas
- 2–4: 0 areas
- 4–6: 1 area
- 6–9: 0 areas
- 9–13: 2 areas
- 13–21: 0 areas
- 21–32: 0 areas
- 32–49: 1 area
- 49–76: 0 areas
- 76–118: 0 areas
- 118–181: 1 area
- 181–280: 1 area
- 280–431: 1 area
- 431–665: 1 area
- 665–1,026: 0 areas
- 1,026–1,582: 4 areas
- 1,582–2,440: 0 areas
- 2,440–3,763: 0 areas
- 3,763–5,804: 0 areas
- 5,804–8,952: 1 area
- 8,952–13,807: 1 area
- 13,807–21,295: 3 areas
- 21,295–32,845: 2 areas
- 32,845–50,659: 4 areas
- 50,659–78,135: 1 area
- 78,135–120,512: 1 area
- 120,512–185,873: 2 areas
All capital city areas, 2021. The marker is Greater Sydney — higher than 90% of areas.
| Greater Sydney | 90,939 |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | 278,043 |
Population & age
How many people identify as First Nations, and the typical age.
The typical First Nations resident here is 24 years old, which is about the same as the national figure and a little older than those in New South Wales.
24 yrs
Younger than 71% of capital city areas.
Median age of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people — half are older, half younger.
Education
School completion among First Nations people.
School completion is high in Greater Sydney, with 41.8% of First Nations people finishing Year 12. This is well above both the state figure of 35% and the national figure of 37%.
41.8%
Higher than 85% of capital city areas.
Share of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
Work
Engagement with the labour force.
The unemployment rate for First Nations people is 8.3%, which is among the lowest for similar areas and well below the Australian average of 12.3%.
8.3%
Lower than 96% of capital city areas.
Unemployed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as a share of the First Nations labour force (aged 15+).
Income
Personal and household incomes.
Typical earnings are much higher here than in most similar areas, with household incomes sitting at $1,779 per week, which is a little above the state and national figures.
$674
Higher than 76% of capital city areas.
Median total personal income per week for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15+.
$1,779
Higher than 78% of capital city areas.
Median total weekly income for households with one or more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members.
Language & culture
Use of an Australian Indigenous language at home.
About 4.8% of First Nations people in the region speak a First Nations language. This is about the same as the New South Wales figure, but well below the national average of 12.3%.
4.8%
Lower than 66% of capital city areas.
Share of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who use an Australian Indigenous language at home.
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Greater Sydney
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). First Nations in Greater Sydney [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/gccsa/1GSYD/greater-sydney/topic/first-nations