90,830
Higher than 94% of remoteness area areas.
The number of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
Major Cities of Australia · Remoteness Area
First Nations in Major Cities of 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.
More than 90,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live across the Major Cities of Australia, making it one of the largest populations of its kind. The community here is notably young and tends to have higher school completion and income levels than the national figures.
90,830
- 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 Major Cities of Australia — higher than 94% of areas.
Population & age
How many people identify as First Nations, and the typical age.
The typical First Nations resident is 23, which is much lower than most similar areas and a little younger than the Australian figure of 24.
23 yrs
Younger than 86% 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.
School completion is strong here, with 51.1% of First Nations people finishing Year 12. This is among the highest rates for this level and far above the national figure of 37.0%.
51.1%
Higher than 98% 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 11.2%, which is lower than most similar areas and a little below the national rate of 12.3%.
11.2%
Lower than 70% 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.
Household incomes are much higher than most similar areas, with a typical weekly income of $1,706. Personal income is also a little above the national figure, at $645 per week.
$645
Higher than 80% of remoteness area areas.
Median total personal income per week for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15+.
$1,706
Higher than 81% 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.
Around 5.4% of First Nations people in these cities speak a First Nations language. This is about the same as other similar areas, but well below the national figure of 12.3%.
5.4%
Lower than 59% 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 Major Cities of Australia
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). First Nations in Major Cities of Australia [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/ra/RA30/major-cities-of-australia/topic/first-nations