Remoteness Area · Area profile
Very Remote Australia
190,753 km²
Typical weekly family incomes are much lower than the national figure in Very Remote Australia, where the typical household earns $1,212. This sparsely populated region is home to 6,708 people and is notable for its strong First Nations presence. The community has seen a shrinking population, losing about 1,309 people since 2011. It is a place of contrasts, with a high proportion of full-time workers alongside a typical personal income that sits below the national average.
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First Nations people make up 31.9% of the population, which is far above the national figure. The community is aging slightly, with the typical resident now 40 and the proportion of seniors rising to 17.8% since 2011.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has one of the lowest proportions of overseas-born people at 5.3%, far below the national figure of 27.7%. Australian and English are the most common ancestries.
English is the primary language for 80.6% of people. Very few residents use another language at home, and the proportion of people who speak little or no English is much lower than in most other areas.
About half of the population identifies as Christian. While the number of people with no religion has risen to 31.1% since 2011, this is still well below the national figure.
Educational qualifications are much lower than the national average, with only 10.8% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion has risen to 31.6% since 2011, though this remains far below the national figure.
Typical weekly household income is $1,212, which is well below the national figure. While incomes have risen since 2011, the area still has a high proportion of households earning under $650 a week.
Residents here are less likely to report long-term health or mental health conditions than the national average. About 56.7% of people have no long-term health conditions.
Volunteer rates are a little above the national figure at 16.8%, though this has fallen since 2011. Fewer people provide unpaid care or housework compared to most other areas.
First Nations residents are typically older and have lower incomes than the national average, with a typical household income of $967. However, the unemployment rate for this group is a little below the national figure.
Single-person households are much more common than usual, making up 35.5% of homes. One-parent families are also very common, at 22.3%, which is well above the national figure.
Detached houses are far more common here than across Australia. While rents and mortgage payments are far below the national figures, the area has a higher proportion of renters and homeowners who own their home outright.
Most people rely on cars, and only 0.3% commute by public transport. Around 13.9% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is well above the national figure.
People are much less likely to have moved in the last five years compared to most areas. Despite this stability, there is a higher than average proportion of recent arrivals from overseas.
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are the biggest industries, and full-time employment is well above the national figure. However, the overall proportion of adults working or looking for work is far below the national average.
The area is mostly car-dependent with a walkability score of 3.5. While many homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park, very few residents have access to public transport.