4,919
Higher than 87% of council (lga) areas.
The number of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
MacDonnell · Council (LGA)
First Nations in MacDonnell
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 strong cultural connection defines daily life for the 4,919 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in MacDonnell. This is one of the largest First Nations populations for an area of this type, where a huge majority continue to speak traditional languages.
4,919
- 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 MacDonnell — higher than 87% of areas.
| MacDonnell | 4,919 |
|---|---|
| Rest of NT | 45,289 |
| Northern Territory | 61,115 |
Population & age
How many people identify as First Nations, and the typical age.
The typical First Nations resident is 29, making this group noticeably older than those in the Northern Territory and Australia.
29 yrs
Older than 75% 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 low here, with only 9.9% of First Nations people finishing Year 12, a figure far below the national average of 37%.
9.9%
Lower than 99% 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.
Finding work is difficult for many, as the First Nations unemployment rate is 21.3%, which is well above the Australian figure of 12.3%.
21.3%
Higher than 87% 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 incomes are among the lowest in the country, with First Nations households earning $933, which is far below the Australian average of $1,507.
$261
Lower than 99% of council (lga) areas.
Median total personal income per week for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15+.
$933
Lower than 89% 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.
Traditional culture remains very strong, as 76.8% of First Nations people speak a First Nations language, a proportion far above the national figure.
76.8%
Higher than 98% 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 MacDonnell
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). First Nations in MacDonnell [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/lga/LGA72330/macdonnell/topic/first-nations