Tiwi Islands · Council (LGA)
How well-off the area is, how fast its population is growing, and the businesses and new homes here.
Severe financial and social hardship shapes daily life in the Tiwi Islands, where an overall advantage score of 729 is among the smallest in the country. This is a deeply disadvantaged area with very limited access to money, resources and job skills.
All council (lga) areas, 2021. The marker is Tiwi Islands — lower than 99% of areas.
SEIFA indexes ranking relative advantage and disadvantage.
The region ranks at the lowest level (1 out of 10) for overall advantage, education, and access to resources, which is smaller than about 90% of similar areas.
1
Lower than 99% of council (lga) areas.
ABS Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, 2021, as a national decile: 1 = among the 10% most disadvantaged areas in Australia, 10 = among the 10% most advantaged. IRSAD summarises both advantage and disadvantage, so a high score reflects relatively many high-income, well-educated households and few low-income, low-skill ones.
1
Lower than 99% of council (lga) areas.
ABS Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage, 2021, as a national decile: 1 = among the 10% most disadvantaged areas in Australia, 10 = among the least disadvantaged. IRSD focuses on disadvantage alone (low income, low education, unemployment, unskilled occupations), so a higher decile means relatively less disadvantage.
1
Lower than 99% of council (lga) areas.
ABS Index of Economic Resources, 2021, as a national decile: 1 = among the 10% lowest areas for economic resources in Australia, 10 = among the highest. IER reflects the income, housing costs, dwelling size and assets of households, so a higher decile means relatively greater economic resources.
1
Lower than 99% of council (lga) areas.
ABS Index of Education and Occupation, 2021, as a national decile: 1 = among the 10% lowest areas for education and occupation in Australia, 10 = among the highest. IEO reflects residents' qualifications and the skill level of their jobs, so a higher decile means a more highly educated and skilled workforce.
729
Lower than 98% of council (lga) areas.
ABS Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, 2021, as a raw index score (standardised so the Australian average is about 1000). Higher scores indicate relatively greater advantage; lower scores greater disadvantage.
Annual population estimates and change since the census.
Population growth since 2021 has been 1.2%, a figure that is much lower than most areas and well below the Northern Territory's 6.6%.
2,767
Lower than 77% of council (lga) areas.
Estimated resident population (ABS), 2025.
1.2%
Lower than 76% of council (lga) areas.
Population growth since the 2021 Census, from ABS annual estimates.
Operating businesses and dwellings approved.
Economic activity is minimal with only 9 businesses and no new dwellings approved, leaving the area among the smallest for building and business growth.
9
Lower than 99% of council (lga) areas.
Operating businesses (ABS Counts of Australian Businesses), June 2025.
0
Lower than 99% of council (lga) areas.
Dwelling units approved in 2024-25 (ABS Building Approvals).
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Economy & Advantage in Tiwi Islands [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/lga/LGA74050/tiwi-islands/topic/economy-advantage
