12,252
Higher than 67% 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 strong connection to traditional culture defines daily life for the 12,252 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Remote Australia. This community is notably diverse in its linguistic heritage, with a far higher proportion of people speaking First Nations languages than across the rest of the country.
12,252
- 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 67% of areas.
Population & age
How many people identify as First Nations, and the typical age.
The typical First Nations resident here is 25 years old, which is a little older than the national figure of 24 years.
25 yrs
Younger 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 sits at 31.2%, which is around the middle for similar areas but well below the Australian figure of 37.0%.
31.2%
Higher than 54% 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.
Finding work is more difficult here, with an unemployment rate of 15.8% that is higher than most areas and well above the national figure of 12.3%.
15.8%
Higher than 59% 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.
Earnings are lower than in most other areas, with the typical household bringing in $1,216 a week and personal incomes sitting a little below the national figures.
$460
Lower than 67% of remoteness area areas.
Median total personal income per week for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15+.
$1,216
Lower than 68% 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.
Cultural ties remain strong, as 17.5% of First Nations people speak a traditional language, a figure that is well above the national average of 12.3%.
17.5%
Higher than 75% 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/RA33/remote-australia/topic/first-nations