8,423 ▲ +4.5%
Lower than 60% of remoteness area areas.
- 2011: 8,057
- 2016: 7,681
- 2021: 8,423
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.
Some of the oldest residents in the country live in Remote Australia, where the typical age is 50. This region is aging rapidly, with a population that has grown by 4.5% to 8,423 people since 2011.
8,423
▲ +4.5%
- 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 — lower than 60% of areas.
| Remote Australia | 8,423 |
|---|---|
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
The typical resident is 50, which is far older than the national figure of 38. This age has climbed 7 years since 2011, making it one of the oldest areas at this level.
50 yrs ▲ +16.3%
Older than 89% of remoteness area areas.
- 2011: 43 yrs
- 2016: 49 yrs
- 2021: 50 yrs
Half the population is older than this age, and half younger.
Age profile
How the population splits across age groups.
Seniors aged 65 and over make up 25.3% of the population, which is well above the Australian average of 17.2%. This reflects a broader shift, as the share of children under 15 has fallen to 13.3%.
25.3% ▲ +44.7%
Higher than 90% of remoteness area areas.
- 2011: 17.5%
- 2016: 22.2%
- 2021: 25.3%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
13.3% ▼ -25.9%
Lower than 76% of remoteness area areas.
- 2011: 18.0%
- 2016: 16.1%
- 2021: 13.3%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →In Remote Australia, the largest group is Older adults (45–64) at 31%, followed by Seniors (65+) (25%) and Young adults (25–44) (23%).
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 6.5% of the population, well above the national figure. De facto relationships are also more common here than in most areas, at 14.8%.
6.5% ▲ +9.4%
Higher than 50% of remoteness area areas.
- 2011: 5.9%
- 2016: 6.4%
- 2021: 6.5%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
14.8% ▼ -9.8%
Higher than 69% of remoteness area areas.
- 2011: 16.4%
- 2016: 14.9%
- 2021: 14.8%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Remote Australia, the largest group is Married at 44%, followed by Never married (33%) and Divorced (12%).
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/RA63/remote-australia/topic/demographics-identity