Council (LGA) · Area profile
Belyuen
41 km²
Tucked away in the Northern Territory, Belyuen is a small, remote community where every resident identifies as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. The population has shrunk by 18% since 2011, now totaling 149 people. It is a place of deep cultural roots, with a vast majority of people speaking a First Nations language at home. Life here is quiet and modest, with a young population and a very high proportion of renters.
Plenty of schools here relative to how few children live in the area.
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Everyone in Belyuen is Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, a figure far above the Northern Territory and national averages. The typical resident is 32, which is noticeably younger than the Australian average, although the number of children under 15 has fallen significantly since 2011.
All residents were born in Australia, and there were no reports of people born overseas in the 2021 census.
Language diversity is very high, with 80.5% of people using another language at home, a figure that rose 72 points since 2011. Despite this, no one reported speaking little or no English.
More than half of the community (51.7%) reports having no religion, which is far above the national figure and has risen 33 points since 2011.
Educational attainment is much lower than the national average, with only 5.5% of residents completing Year 12. Most adults hold a Certificate III or IV, and no one in the community holds a bachelor's degree.
Typical incomes are far below the national and state figures, with the usual weekly household earning $680. No households earn $3,000 or more per week.
About 8.7% of people need help with daily activities, which is well above the territory average. However, the rate of long-term health conditions is far below the national figure.
Participation in unpaid work is low, with 0.0% of people volunteering and only 4.8% spending 15 or more hours a week on housework.
The community is deeply connected to culture, with 80% of people speaking a First Nations language. The typical First Nations resident is 32, which is far older than the national figure for First Nations people.
Homes tend to be larger than average, with 3.2 people per home. One-parent families are very common, making up 39.1% of households, which is far above the national average.
Renting is the norm here, with 95.7% of homes rented and none owned outright. The typical weekly rent is very low at $75.
Most households do not have a car, with 84.6% of homes having no motor vehicle, a figure that rose 25 points since 2011.
The community is very stable, as only 11.8% of people have moved in the last five years, which is far below the national average.
Only 19% of adults are working or looking for work, and the unemployment rate is 0.0%. Full-time employment stands at 46.9%, which is far below the national average.
Belyuen is ranked among the most disadvantaged areas in the country, scoring a 1 out of 10 for overall advantage and having no registered businesses.
The area is very wet and warm, with average annual rainfall of 1,557mm, which is far above the Northern Territory average.
The area is entirely car-dependent, with a walkability score of 0.0 and no amenities like parks or groceries within a 15-minute walk.