Tanami · Statistical Area 2 (SA2)
How well-off the area is, how fast its population is growing, and the businesses and new homes here.
A score of 1 for overall advantage makes Tanami one of the most disadvantaged areas in the country. This sparsely populated region faces significant challenges with access to money and education, though the population has grown by 4% since the last census.
All statistical area 2 (sa2) areas, 2021. The marker is Tanami — lower than 99% of areas.
| Tanami | 1 |
|---|---|
| 0872 crosses NT/SA/WA | 1 |
SEIFA indexes ranking relative advantage and disadvantage.
Residents here have very little access to money, resources, or job skills, with the area scoring 1 out of 10 across all advantage measures. This puts Tanami among the smallest for overall advantage in Australia, with a typical score of 704 compared to the national average of 1000.
1
Lower than 99% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
ABS Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, 2021, as a national decile: 1 = among the 10% most disadvantaged areas in Australia, 10 = among the 10% most advantaged. IRSAD summarises both advantage and disadvantage, so a high score reflects relatively many high-income, well-educated households and few low-income, low-skill ones.
1
Lower than 99% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
ABS Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage, 2021, as a national decile: 1 = among the 10% most disadvantaged areas in Australia, 10 = among the least disadvantaged. IRSD focuses on disadvantage alone (low income, low education, unemployment, unskilled occupations), so a higher decile means relatively less disadvantage.
1
Lower than 99% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
ABS Index of Economic Resources, 2021, as a national decile: 1 = among the 10% lowest areas for economic resources in Australia, 10 = among the highest. IER reflects the income, housing costs, dwelling size and assets of households, so a higher decile means relatively greater economic resources.
1
Lower than 99% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
ABS Index of Education and Occupation, 2021, as a national decile: 1 = among the 10% lowest areas for education and occupation in Australia, 10 = among the highest. IEO reflects residents' qualifications and the skill level of their jobs, so a higher decile means a more highly educated and skilled workforce.
704
Lower than 99% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
ABS Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, 2021, as a raw index score (standardised so the Australian average is about 1000). Higher scores indicate relatively greater advantage; lower scores greater disadvantage.
Annual population estimates and change since the census.
The population has reached 3,399 people. While it grew by 4% since 2021, this is a little below the Northern Territory's growth rate of 6.6%.
3,399
Lower than 88% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Estimated resident population (ABS), 2025.
4.0%
Lower than 55% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Population growth since the 2021 Census, from ABS annual estimates.
Operating businesses and dwellings approved.
Business activity is very low in this region, with only 16 businesses operating here.
16
Lower than 99% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Operating businesses (ABS Counts of Australian Businesses), June 2025.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Economy & Advantage in Tanami [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa2/702011053/tanami/topic/economy-advantage
