942
Higher than 76% of indigenous location areas.
The number of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
Cairns - City · Indigenous Location
First Nations in Cairns - City
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.
About 33.3% of First Nations people in Cairns - City speak a traditional language, a figure far above the national average. This community is larger than most similar areas and has an older typical resident than the state or national figures. While educational attainment is high, many face significant challenges with employment and household income.
942
- 1–1: 17 areas
- 1–2: 0 areas
- 2–3: 0 areas
- 3–4: 0 areas
- 4–5: 2 areas
- 5–7: 0 areas
- 7–10: 3 areas
- 10–13: 1 area
- 13–19: 2 areas
- 19–26: 7 areas
- 26–36: 9 areas
- 36–49: 13 areas
- 49–68: 34 areas
- 68–95: 43 areas
- 95–131: 69 areas
- 131–182: 88 areas
- 182–251: 108 areas
- 251–348: 107 areas
- 348–482: 139 areas
- 482–667: 115 areas
- 667–923: 127 areas
- 923–1,278: 91 areas
- 1,278–1,769: 71 areas
- 1,769–2,448: 39 areas
- 2,448–3,389: 22 areas
- 3,389–4,691: 16 areas
- 4,691–6,494: 8 areas
- 6,494–8,989: 7 areas
All indigenous location areas, 2021. The marker is Cairns - City — higher than 76% of areas.
| Cairns - City | 942 |
|---|---|
| Queensland | 237,303 |
Population & age
How many people identify as First Nations, and the typical age.
There are 942 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here, which is more than 78% of similar areas. The typical person in this group is 28, making them noticeably older than those in Queensland and across Australia.
28 yrs
Older than 76% of indigenous location 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 strong here, with 45.1% of First Nations residents finishing Year 12. This is well above the national figure of 37.0% and a little above the Queensland average.
45.1%
Higher than 81% of indigenous location 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.
Finding work is difficult for many, as the unemployment rate for First Nations people is 20.6%. This is well above both the national figure of 12.3% and the Queensland rate of 13.3%.
20.6%
Higher than 79% of indigenous location areas.
Unemployed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as a share of the First Nations labour force (aged 15+).
Income
Personal and household incomes.
Household incomes for First Nations residents are well below the state and national figures, at $1,142. However, typical personal income is $559, which is about the same as the figures for Queensland and Australia.
$559
Higher than 58% of indigenous location areas.
Median total personal income per week for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15+.
$1,142
Lower than 66% of indigenous location 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.
Cultural heritage is strong, with 33.3% of First Nations people speaking a traditional language. This is far above the 12.3% seen across Australia and the 11.6% in Queensland.
33.3%
Higher than 76% of indigenous location 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 Cairns - City
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). First Nations in Cairns - City [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/iloc/ILOC30900202/cairns-city/topic/first-nations