17,588 ▼ -5.0%
Higher than 85% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
- 2011: 18,517
- 2016: 17,708
- 2021: 17,588
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Broken Hill · Statistical Area 2 (SA2)
Demographics & Identity in Broken Hill
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
A typical resident in Broken Hill is 44, making the area noticeably older than both the state and national averages. While the total population has shrunk by 5.0% to 17,588 people since 2011, the community is marked by a strong Indigenous presence and a growing proportion of seniors.
17,588
▼ -5.0%
- 1–1: 40 areas
- 1–2: 0 areas
- 2–3: 0 areas
- 3–4: 12 areas
- 4–6: 6 areas
- 6–9: 9 areas
- 9–13: 10 areas
- 13–19: 7 areas
- 19–27: 17 areas
- 27–39: 6 areas
- 39–56: 5 areas
- 56–81: 4 areas
- 81–116: 1 area
- 116–168: 5 areas
- 168–242: 3 areas
- 242–349: 4 areas
- 349–503: 2 areas
- 503–725: 9 areas
- 725–1,045: 3 areas
- 1,045–1,506: 5 areas
- 1,506–2,171: 31 areas
- 2,171–3,130: 83 areas
- 3,130–4,513: 217 areas
- 4,513–6,507: 318 areas
- 6,507–9,382: 402 areas
- 9,382–13,526: 546 areas
- 13,526–19,501: 496 areas
- 19,501–28,116: 231 areas
All statistical area 2 (sa2) areas, 2021. The marker is Broken Hill — higher than 85% of areas.
| Broken Hill | 17,588 |
|---|---|
| 2880, NSW | 18,097 |
| New South Wales | 8,072,163 |
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
The population is larger than about 86% of similar areas, though it lost 929 people between 2011 and 2021. This shift is reflected in the typical age, which rose to 44 years and is now much higher than most other areas.
44 yrs ▲ +2.3%
Older than 75% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
- 2011: 43 yrs
- 2016: 45 yrs
- 2021: 44 yrs
Half the population is older than this age, and half younger.
Age profile
How the population splits across age groups.
Broken Hill has a notably older age profile, with seniors aged 65 and over making up 23.2% of the population—well above the national figure. Conversely, children under 15 account for 17.1%, which is a little below the state and national averages.
23.2% ▲ +17.2%
Higher than 80% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
- 2011: 19.8%
- 2016: 21.8%
- 2021: 23.2%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
17.1% ▼ -5.5%
Lower than 60% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
- 2011: 18.0%
- 2016: 16.6%
- 2021: 17.1%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →Broken Hill splits fairly evenly between Older adults (45–64) (26%) and Seniors (65+) (23%), with Young adults (25–44) at 23%.
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
Indigenous identity is very prominent here, with 10.0% of residents identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, well above the New South Wales average of 3.4%. Additionally, people in de facto relationships make up 13.6% of the population, a figure that is higher than most areas.
10.0% ▲ +32.2%
Higher than 88% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
- 2011: 7.5%
- 2016: 8.5%
- 2021: 10.0%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
13.6% ▲ +24.8%
Higher than 70% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
- 2011: 10.9%
- 2016: 11.4%
- 2021: 13.6%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →Broken Hill splits fairly evenly between Never married (39%) and Married (38%), with Divorced at 11%.
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Broken Hill
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Broken Hill [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa2/105021097/broken-hill/topic/demographics-identity