4,339
Higher than 50% of remoteness area areas.
The number of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
Remote Australia · Remoteness Area
First Nations in Remote Australia
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 typical age of 27 years marks the First Nations population in Remote Australia as noticeably older than the national figure of 24. This group includes 4,339 people, which is a larger population than in about 55% of similar areas.
4,339
- 1–2: 7 areas
- 2–2: 0 areas
- 2–4: 0 areas
- 4–5: 1 area
- 5–8: 0 areas
- 8–13: 2 areas
- 13–19: 0 areas
- 19–29: 1 area
- 29–45: 2 areas
- 45–68: 1 area
- 68–104: 0 areas
- 104–158: 1 area
- 158–242: 2 areas
- 242–369: 0 areas
- 369–562: 3 areas
- 562–858: 0 areas
- 858–1,308: 3 areas
- 1,308–1,995: 2 areas
- 1,995–3,043: 1 area
- 3,043–4,641: 3 areas
- 4,641–7,079: 0 areas
- 7,079–10,797: 5 areas
- 10,797–16,468: 6 areas
- 16,468–25,117: 4 areas
- 25,117–38,308: 3 areas
- 38,308–58,428: 2 areas
- 58,428–89,116: 1 area
- 89,116–135,921: 3 areas
All remoteness area areas, 2021. The marker is Remote Australia — higher than 50% of areas.
Population & age
How many people identify as First Nations, and the typical age.
The typical First Nations resident is 27, making this group noticeably older than the national figure of 24.
27 yrs
Older than 57% of remoteness area areas.
Median age of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people — half are older, half younger.
Education
School completion among First Nations people.
Year 12 completion is 26.4%, which is lower than most similar areas and far below the Australian figure of 37%.
26.4%
Lower than 61% of remoteness area 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.
The unemployment rate for First Nations people is 11.7%, which is lower than most similar areas and about the same as the 12.3% national figure.
11.7%
Lower than 68% of remoteness area 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 household income is $1,223, a little below the national figure of $1,507. Personal income is $521, which is about the same as the Australian figure of $540.
$521
Lower than 51% of remoteness area areas.
Median total personal income per week for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15+.
$1,223
Lower than 67% of remoteness area 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.
Only 2.2% of First Nations people here speak a First Nations language, which is far below the national figure of 12.3% and much lower than most similar areas.
2.2%
Lower than 91% of remoteness area 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 Remote Australia
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). First Nations in Remote Australia [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/ra/RA13/remote-australia/topic/first-nations