Cocos (Keeling) Islands

The community is relatively young, with a typical resident aged 40 and a children's population that is well above the national figure. While the number of seniors has risen to 17.0% since 2011, there are very few people in de facto relationships compared to other territories.

Most residents were born in Australia (73.5%), and the proportion of people born overseas is far below the national figure at 8.6%. The most common ancestries are Australian, English, and Scottish.

Language diversity is very high, with 64.2% of people using another language at home, though this is nearly 10 points lower than in 2011. About 21.6% of the population speak little or no English, which is far above the national figure.

Islam is the dominant faith, accounting for 65.6% of the population. Those reporting no religion make up 14.5%, a figure far below both the state and national levels.

Education levels are much lower than in most areas, with only 38.5% of residents completing Year 12 and 9.4% holding a bachelor degree or higher. The islands have a single government school that serves all students.

Income patterns are mixed; while the typical household income is well above the national figure, the typical personal income is slightly lower. Interestingly, 36.1% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, a figure that has risen sharply since 2011.

Residents are generally healthier than those in most other areas, with a very low rate of long-term health conditions (12.8%) and mental health conditions (2.2%).

Unpaid care and housework are less common here than elsewhere, with only 8.8% of people doing 15 or more hours of housework weekly. Volunteering has also fallen since 2011 to 15.6%.

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

Homes are typically large, with 3.8 people per household and 64.2% of families consisting of couples with children. Very few people live alone (7.4%), which is far below the national figure.

Every home on the islands is a separate house, and 67.2% of these are rented. While typical weekly rents are far below the national figure, monthly mortgage payments are higher than usual.

Cars are essential, as every single home has at least one motor vehicle. Despite this, 11.3% of people commute by public transport, which is well above the national average.

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

Full-time employment is much higher than in most areas at 65.7%, and the unemployment rate is very low at 2.0%. Common industries include public administration, transport, and education.

The population is estimated at 626 people and has grown by 3.8% since 2021, a rate similar to other territories.

Most homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries (94.5%) and parks (66.0%), but no homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport or health services.