395
Higher than 86% of suburb / locality areas.
The number of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
Lightning Ridge · Suburb / Locality
First Nations in Lightning Ridge
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities — how many people identify as First Nations, and how they fare on age, schooling, work, income and language. From the ABS 2021 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Profile; the ABS notes these counts are an undercount.
Deep gaps in income and employment mark the First Nations experience in Lightning Ridge, where typical weekly household earnings are far below state and national levels. Despite these challenges, the area is home to 395 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, making it one of the largest populations of its kind for an area this size.
395
- 1–1: 6180 areas
- 1–2: 0 areas
- 2–3: 0 areas
- 3–4: 770 areas
- 4–5: 626 areas
- 5–7: 781 areas
- 7–9: 780 areas
- 9–12: 625 areas
- 12–17: 661 areas
- 17–23: 511 areas
- 23–32: 567 areas
- 32–44: 486 areas
- 44–60: 559 areas
- 60–82: 470 areas
- 82–113: 455 areas
- 113–155: 490 areas
- 155–212: 381 areas
- 212–291: 319 areas
- 291–398: 256 areas
- 398–546: 182 areas
- 546–748: 111 areas
- 748–1,025: 72 areas
- 1,025–1,404: 38 areas
- 1,404–1,924: 20 areas
- 1,924–2,637: 10 areas
- 2,637–3,613: 1 area
- 3,613–4,952: 0 areas
- 4,952–6,786: 1 area
All suburb / locality areas, 2021. The marker is Lightning Ridge — higher than 86% of areas.
| Lightning Ridge | 395 |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | 278,043 |
Population & age
How many people identify as First Nations, and the typical age.
The typical First Nations resident is 30 years old, which is noticeably older than the state figure of 23 and the national average of 24.
30 yrs
Older than 63% of suburb / locality areas.
Median age of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people — half are older, half younger.
Education
School completion among First Nations people.
School completion rates are low here, with only 28.1% of First Nations residents finishing Year 12. This is well below both the New South Wales figure of 35% and the Australian average of 37%.
28.1%
Lower than 78% of suburb / locality areas.
Share of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
Work
Engagement with the labour force.
Finding work is a significant challenge, as the First Nations unemployment rate is 20.4%. This is far above the New South Wales rate of 9.8% and well above the national figure of 12.3%.
20.4%
Higher than 86% of suburb / locality areas.
Unemployed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as a share of the First Nations labour force (aged 15+).
Income
Personal and household incomes.
Earnings are much lower than in most areas, with typical weekly household incomes of $918, far below the New South Wales figure of $1,558. Personal income is also well below the state and national averages, sitting at $455.
$455
Lower than 75% of suburb / locality areas.
Median total personal income per week for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15+.
$918
Lower than 85% of suburb / locality areas.
Median total weekly income for households with one or more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members.
Language & culture
Use of an Australian Indigenous language at home.
About 4.6% of First Nations people speak a traditional language. This is about the same as the New South Wales average of 4%, but well below the national figure of 12.3%.
4.6%
Higher than 53% of suburb / locality areas.
Share of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who use an Australian Indigenous language at home.
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Lightning Ridge
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). First Nations in Lightning Ridge [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sal/SAL12329/lightning-ridge/topic/first-nations