East Arnhem

The area is far younger than the rest of Australia, with a typical age of 28 and a very small senior population of just 4.1%. The community is predominantly First Nations, with 89.9% of people identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

Most residents were born in Australia, with 93.9% born here. This is much higher than the national figure, and the proportion of people born overseas is far below the typical Australian area at just 2.0%.

Cultural diversity is very high, with 88.9% of people using another language at home, far above the national figure. This is consistent with the high First Nations population, and 17.8% of people speak little or no English.

About half of the population identifies as Christian, while 19.8% follow other religions. Those with no religion make up 19.7%, which is far below the national figure, though this group has grown by 13 points since 2011.

Educational attainment is much lower than the national average, with only 4.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. While 28.2% have completed Year 12, this is far below the national figure of 58.8%.

Incomes are among the lowest in the country, with a typical personal weekly income of just $290. Very few households earn $3,000 or more a week, at only 8.8%.

People here are less likely to have long-term health conditions compared to the rest of Australia, with only 16.0% reporting one. Mental health conditions are also reported far less often than the national figure.

Unpaid care is common here, with 57.0% of people caring for children, far above the national figure. However, formal volunteering is much lower than usual at 5.6%.

The First Nations community is very large, with 7,893 people. They face significant challenges, with an unemployment rate of 33.4%, far above the national figure, and 96.1% speaking a First Nations language.

Homes are typically large, with 4.8 people per household, far above the national average. Over half of all families are couples with children, and one-parent families are also very common at 31.8%.

Renting is the norm for 78.8% of households, far above the national figure. Crowding is high, with 1.7 people per bedroom, and very few people own their homes outright at 3.5%.

Car dependence is high despite 51.6% of homes having no motor vehicle, far above the national figure. Public transport is almost non-existent, with no recorded routes or stops in the area.

The population is very stable, with only 14.1% of people moving in the last five years, which is far below the national figure. Recent overseas arrivals have fallen to 16.5% since 2016.

Only 30.1% of adults are working or looking for work, far below the national average. Among those who do work, the unemployment rate is very high at 26.2%.

The area is ranked among the most disadvantaged in the country, scoring 1 out of 10 for overall advantage. Access to money, resources, and job skills are all far below most other areas.

The region is very wet and warm, with annual rainfall of 1,388mm, which is far above the Northern Territory average. Average minimum temperatures are also a little above the state figure.

The area is mostly car-dependent with a low walkability score of 2.5. While most homes are within a short walk of a school or health service, very few are near parks or groceries.