Remoteness Area · Area profile
Very Remote Australia
3,092 km²
A significantly older population defines Very Remote Australia, where the typical resident is 51 years old. This remote region is mostly made up of seniors and older adults, with those aged 65 and over making up nearly 29% of the population. It is a place of modest means and high independence, where many people live alone in their own homes. This creates a quiet, sparsely populated landscape that has grown slightly to 2,533 people since 2011.
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The area is far older than the national figure, with the proportion of seniors rising by 9.2 percentage points since 2011. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 7.0% of the population, which is well above the Australian average of 3.2%.
Most residents were born in Australia (78.0%), and the proportion of people born overseas is far below the national figure. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, accounting for 41.4% and 39.9% respectively.
English is the dominant language, with 86.1% of people using it only at home. The proportion of people who speak another language is far below the national figure, though it has risen slightly since 2011.
A majority of residents report having no religion (52.1%), a figure that is far above the national average and has risen by 21 percentage points since 2011.
Year 12 completion is far below the national figure at 39.5%, although this has risen since 2011. A higher proportion of residents hold bachelor degrees compared to similar remote areas, though this remains far below the national average.
Typical weekly household income is $1,221, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. While personal incomes are about the same as the national figure, the proportion of households earning $3,000 or more a week is far below the national average.
Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most similar areas, with 31.4% of people affected. Arthritis is the most frequent condition, affecting 12.3% of the population.
Volunteering is exceptionally high, with 34.1% of people helping out, far above the national figure of 14.1%. Unpaid care is also more common than in most areas, including a high rate of people doing 15 or more hours of housework weekly.
First Nations residents are far older than the national average, with a typical age of 42. While the unemployment rate for this group is much lower than in most similar areas, Year 12 completion is far below the national figure.
Homes here are smaller than usual, with a typical size of 2.0 people. A very high proportion of residents live alone (36.8%), which is far above the national figure of 25.6%.
The area is dominated by separate houses (95.1%) and high rates of outright ownership, which is far above the national average. Rents and mortgage payments are also far below the national figures.
Public transport is almost non-existent, with only 0.2% of people using it to commute. Most homes have at least one vehicle, and 35.8% have two.
The population is relatively stable, as the proportion of people who moved in the last five years is well below the national figure. Recent overseas arrivals are also less common than in most of Australia.
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are the main industries, employing 24.6% of workers. The unemployment rate is much lower than the national figure, though full-time employment has fallen since 2011.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a low walkability score of 2.4. No homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport, though over half are within 15 minutes of a park.