22,940
Higher than 99% of council (lga) areas.
The number of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
Brisbane · Council (LGA)
First Nations in Brisbane
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.
A growing First Nations community of 22,940 people now lives in Brisbane. This population is noticeably older than the state and national figures, with a typical age of 26. Residents here also see far higher rates of school completion and typical incomes compared to the rest of the country.
22,940
- 1–1: 9 areas
- 1–2: 0 areas
- 2–3: 0 areas
- 3–4: 3 areas
- 4–6: 0 areas
- 6–9: 1 area
- 9–12: 12 areas
- 12–18: 5 areas
- 18–25: 11 areas
- 25–36: 20 areas
- 36–52: 16 areas
- 52–74: 13 areas
- 74–106: 29 areas
- 106–151: 26 areas
- 151–217: 32 areas
- 217–310: 44 areas
- 310–444: 37 areas
- 444–636: 42 areas
- 636–910: 51 areas
- 910–1,302: 49 areas
- 1,302–1,864: 32 areas
- 1,864–2,668: 55 areas
- 2,668–3,819: 26 areas
- 3,819–5,466: 24 areas
- 5,466–7,823: 11 areas
- 7,823–11,198: 7 areas
- 11,198–16,027: 5 areas
- 16,027–22,940: 5 areas
All council (lga) areas, 2021. The marker is Brisbane — higher than 99% of areas.
| Brisbane | 22,940 |
|---|---|
| Greater Brisbane | 76,942 |
| Queensland | 237,303 |
Population & age
How many people identify as First Nations, and the typical age.
Brisbane is home to 22,940 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, one of the largest groups at this level. The typical person in this group is 26, making them noticeably older than those in Queensland and Australia.
26 yrs
Older than 57% of council (lga) 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 very high here, with 56.9% of First Nations people finishing Year 12. This is far above both the Queensland figure of 43.6% and the national figure of 37.0%.
56.9%
Higher than 91% of council (lga) 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 10.9%, which sits around the middle for similar areas. This is a little below the rates seen across Queensland and Australia.
10.9%
Lower than 54% of council (lga) 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 than in most areas, with household incomes at $1,806 and personal incomes at $687. Both figures are above the state and national averages.
$687
Higher than 78% of council (lga) areas.
Median total personal income per week for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15+.
$1,806
Higher than 80% of council (lga) 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 7.4% of First Nations residents speak a traditional language. While this is higher than in most similar areas, it is well below the figures for Queensland and Australia.
7.4%
Higher than 67% of council (lga) 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 Brisbane
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). First Nations in Brisbane [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/lga/LGA31000/brisbane/topic/first-nations