87,426 ▼ -8.4%
Higher than 61% of remoteness area areas.
- 2011: 95,399
- 2016: 83,602
- 2021: 87,426
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Remote Australia · Remoteness Area
Demographics & Identity in Remote Australia
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
A young age profile and high proportion of children shape daily life in Remote Australia. The area has a population of 87,426 people, but the total number of residents shrank by 8.4% since 2011. This shift happens alongside a population that remains younger than the national average.
87,426
▼ -8.4%
- 1–2: 3 areas
- 2–3: 0 areas
- 3–5: 0 areas
- 5–9: 0 areas
- 9–16: 2 areas
- 16–28: 1 area
- 28–50: 1 area
- 50–87: 0 areas
- 87–152: 1 area
- 152–265: 1 area
- 265–463: 1 area
- 463–808: 3 areas
- 808–1,412: 1 area
- 1,412–2,466: 0 areas
- 2,466–4,308: 4 areas
- 4,308–7,525: 2 areas
- 7,525–13,147: 4 areas
- 13,147–22,967: 2 areas
- 22,967–40,122: 1 area
- 40,122–70,092: 5 areas
- 70,092–122,448: 2 areas
- 122,448–213,911: 5 areas
- 213,911–373,695: 3 areas
- 373,695–652,831: 2 areas
- 652,831–1,140,471: 2 areas
- 1,140,471–1,992,358: 3 areas
- 1,992,358–3,480,573: 2 areas
- 3,480,573–6,080,428: 2 areas
All remoteness area areas, 2021. The marker is Remote Australia — higher than 61% of areas.
| Remote Australia | 87,426 |
|---|---|
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
The typical resident is 36, which is much lower than in most similar areas and a little younger than the Australian figure of 38. This typical age has barely changed, rising by only one year since 2011.
36 yrs ▲ +2.9%
Younger than 86% of remoteness area areas.
- 2011: 35 yrs
- 2016: 35 yrs
- 2021: 36 yrs
Half the population is older than this age, and half younger.
Age profile
How the population splits across age groups.
Children under 15 make up 22.2% of the population, which is well above the national figure of 18.2%. This helps explain why the area is so young, while seniors aged 65 and over are well below the national average at 11.2%.
11.2% ▲ +43.9%
Lower than 76% of remoteness area areas.
- 2011: 7.8%
- 2016: 9.4%
- 2021: 11.2%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
22.2% ▲ +0.5%
Higher than 97% of remoteness area areas.
- 2011: 22.1%
- 2016: 22.5%
- 2021: 22.2%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →In Remote Australia, the largest group is Young adults (25–44) at 31%, followed by Older adults (45–64) (26%) and Children (0–14) (22%).
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 11.9% of the population, which is well above the national figure of 3.2%. De facto relationships are also very common here at 19.0%, a rate that is well above the 11.5% seen across Australia.
11.9% ▲ +2.6%
Higher than 72% of remoteness area areas.
- 2011: 11.6%
- 2016: 11.6%
- 2021: 11.9%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
19.0% ▲ +11.2%
Higher than 95% of remoteness area areas.
- 2011: 17.1%
- 2016: 18.2%
- 2021: 19.0%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →Remote Australia splits fairly evenly between Married (45%) and Never married (40%), with Divorced at 8%.
Age & sex structure
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). Demographics & Identity in Remote Australia [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/ra/RA53/remote-australia/topic/demographics-identity