Remoteness Area · Area profile
Very Remote Australia
1,256,518 km²
Spanning over 1.2 million square kilometres of the most isolated reaches of the continent, Very Remote Australia is a vast region with a small population of 52,481. It is a strikingly young area where the typical resident is just 35, compared to the national figure of 38. A strong First Nations presence shapes the community, with 37.4% of people identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. This unique demographic profile contributes to a culture where traditional languages remain common and households are often larger than average.
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The population is much younger than most areas, with children under 15 making up 22.2% of the community. In contrast, seniors aged 65 and over are well below the national figure at 12.6%.
People born overseas make up only 5.9% of the population, which is far below the national figure of 27.7% and has barely changed since 2011.
Language diversity is high, with 21.0% of people using a language other than English at home. This is much higher than in most similar areas.
Religious affiliation is more common here than elsewhere, as those with no religion (29.1%) are well below the national figure of 38.9%.
Educational attainment is much lower than the national average, with only 9.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, Year 12 completion has risen to 39.6% since 2011.
Typical incomes are well below the national figure, with the usual household earning $1,391 a week. This is much lower than most similar areas, though typical incomes have risen since 2011.
Residents report fewer long-term health conditions than the national average, with 21.1% having a condition compared to 27.7% across Australia.
Volunteering is well above the national figure at 18.6%, although this has fallen by 5.1 percentage points since 2011.
First Nations people make up a significant part of the community, and 48.9% speak a First Nations language, which is far above the national figure of 12.3%.
Households tend to be large, with an average of 2.7 people per home. One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas, at 20.6%.
Renting is far more common than the national average at 46.8%. While typical weekly rents are much lower than the national figure at $145, the number of people per bedroom is slightly above the national average.
Car use is essential, as 15.5% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is well above the national figure. Only 1.4% of people commute using public transport.
The population is relatively stable, with 32.2% moving in the last five years, which is well below the national figure of 40.7%.
Full-time employment is far above the national average at 69.4%. Many residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, or public administration and safety.
The area is mostly car-dependent with a low walkability score of 2.8. No homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport.