977
Higher than 88% of suburb / locality areas.
The number of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
Aurukun · Suburb / Locality
First Nations in Aurukun
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.
A strong cultural identity defines Aurukun, where 92.3% of First Nations people speak a traditional language. This community is home to 977 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, one of the largest groups of its kind in the region. While culturally rich, many residents face significant gaps in education and income compared to the rest of the country.
977
- 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 Aurukun — higher than 88% of areas.
| Aurukun | 977 |
|---|---|
| Queensland | 237,303 |
Population & age
How many people identify as First Nations, and the typical age.
The typical First Nations resident is 27, which is noticeably older than the national figure of 24 and the Queensland figure of 23.
27 yrs
Older than 54% 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 is very low, with only 10.2% of First Nations people finishing Year 12. This is far below the 37% national average and the 43.6% figure for Queensland.
10.2%
Lower than 98% 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 a job is difficult here, as the unemployment rate for First Nations people is 20.6%. This is well above the national rate of 12.3% and the state figure of 13.3%.
20.6%
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.
Typical earnings are among the lowest in the country, with a usual personal income of $310. Household incomes are also well below the national figure, averaging $1,005 compared to $1,507 across Australia.
$310
Lower than 92% of suburb / locality areas.
Median total personal income per week for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15+.
$1,005
Lower than 81% 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.
Language preservation is exceptionally high in Aurukun, with 92.3% of First Nations people speaking a traditional language. This is far above the 12.3% seen across Australia.
92.3%
Higher than 99% 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 Aurukun
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). First Nations in Aurukun [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sal/SAL30104/aurukun/topic/first-nations