Cocos (Keeling) Islands

The typical resident is 40 years old, and the area has a high proportion of children under 15 at 21.1%. While the population grew by 7.8% since 2011, the number of people identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander has fallen to 0.0%.

Most residents were born in Australia, with 73.5% of the population born here. This is reflected in the low proportion of people born overseas, at 8.6%, which is far below the national figure.

Language diversity is a defining feature, as 64.2% of people use another language at home, far above the national figure of 22.3%. However, the proportion of people who speak little or no English fell to 21.6% since 2016.

Islam is the primary faith for 65.6% of the community. Those with no religion make up 14.5% of the population, which is far below the national figure.

Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 38.5% of residents completing Year 12 and 9.4% holding a bachelor degree or higher. All school enrolments are within the single government school.

Household incomes are unusually high, with 36.1% of homes earning $3,000 or more a week. Despite this, typical personal weekly income is $741, which is slightly below the national figure.

Residents generally report fewer long-term health conditions than the rest of the country, with only 12.8% having one. Mental health conditions are also among the lowest at 2.2%.

Volunteer rates are around the middle for similar areas at 15.6%, though this has fallen since 2011. Very few people provide unpaid care or do significant unpaid housework compared to the national average.

There are no Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people recorded in this area.

Homes are much larger than average, with 3.8 people per household. This is consistent with the high number of couples with children, who make up 64.2% of families.

Every home is a separate house, and 67.2% are rented, which is far above the national figure. Rent is relatively low at a typical $231 per week, but monthly home-loan payments have risen sharply to $1,972.

Cars are essential here, as every single home has at least one motor vehicle. While 11.3% of people use public transport to commute, there are no public transport stops or routes in the area.

The population is quite stable, with only 19.9% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas have also fallen to 5.9% since 2011.

Full-time employment is high at 65.7%, and the unemployment rate is very low at 2.0%. Many residents work in public administration, transport, or education.

The area is ranked as having very low overall advantage, scoring 2 out of 10. This is linked to low levels of job skills and the presence of only 15 businesses.

Most people can walk to groceries within 15 minutes, and 66% live near a park. However, the area is mostly car-dependent, and no one lives within a 10-minute walk of public transport.