4,879
Higher than 87% of council (lga) areas.
The number of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
Roper Gulf · Council (LGA)
First Nations in Roper Gulf
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.
Among the largest groups of its kind in the region, 4,879 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in Roper Gulf. The community is notably traditional, with a very high proportion of people speaking First Nations languages. However, residents face significant challenges with lower typical incomes and higher unemployment than in other parts of the country.
4,879
- 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 Roper Gulf — higher than 87% of areas.
| Roper Gulf | 4,879 |
|---|---|
| Rest of NT | 45,289 |
| Northern Territory | 61,115 |
Population & age
How many people identify as First Nations, and the typical age.
The typical age for First Nations people here is 25 years. This is a little younger than the Northern Territory figure of 26, but a little older than the Australian figure of 24.
25 yrs
Older than 50% 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 rates are low, with only 17.2% of First Nations people finishing Year 12. This is well below the Northern Territory's 23.2% and far below the national figure of 37%.
17.2%
Lower than 93% 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, as the unemployment rate for First Nations people is 23.2%. This is much higher than most areas and far above the Australian rate of 12.3%.
23.2%
Higher than 88% 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.
Household incomes are lower than most areas at $1,164, which is a little below the Northern Territory figure. Personal income is also very low, with the typical person earning $255, far below the Australian figure of $540.
$255
Lower than 99% of council (lga) areas.
Median total personal income per week for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15+.
$1,164
Lower than 73% 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.
Language preservation is very strong here, with 83.8% of First Nations people speaking a traditional language. This is far above both the Northern Territory's 60.1% and the national figure of 12.3%.
83.8%
Higher than 99% 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 Roper Gulf
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). First Nations in Roper Gulf [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/lga/LGA73600/roper-gulf/topic/first-nations