Kowanyama · Council (LGA)

First Nations in Kowanyama

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.

Daily life for the 937 First Nations people in Kowanyama is marked by significant economic hardship and a typical age of 26. This is a community where high unemployment and very low incomes are common, creating a stark contrast to the wider state and nation.

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📍 Kowanyama, Council (LGA)

Where Kowanyama sits — Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people

937
  • 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 Kowanyama — higher than 62% of areas.

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people compared with the state and national average
Kowanyama937
Rest of Qld 159,179
Queensland 237,303

Population & age

How many people identify as First Nations, and the typical age.

The typical First Nations resident is 26 years old, which is noticeably older than the Queensland figure of 23 and a little older than the national average of 24.

Education

School completion among First Nations people.

School completion is very low here, with only 15.3% of First Nations residents finishing Year 12. This is far below the Australian figure of 37%.

Work

Engagement with the labour force.

Finding work is a major challenge, as the First Nations unemployment rate is 48.8%. This is among the highest for similar areas and far above the 12.3% national rate.

Income

Personal and household incomes.

Financial struggle is widespread, with typical personal incomes of $324 being far below the national figure of $540. Household incomes are also well below the Australian average, sitting at $972.

Language & culture

Use of an Australian Indigenous language at home.

Only 2.8% of First Nations people here speak a First Nations language, which is well below the Queensland figure of 11.6%.

Sources

  • Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).

More for Kowanyama

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). First Nations in Kowanyama [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/lga/LGA34420/kowanyama/topic/first-nations