State / Territory · Area profile
Northern Territory
1,348,134 km²
A remarkably young population defines the Northern Territory, where the typical resident is just 33 years old. This is a diverse society with a very strong First Nations presence and a high proportion of children, which helps explain why homes here are larger than the national figure. While many residents are renters, the territory has seen a rise in typical incomes over the last decade. It remains a place of significant movement, with many recent arrivals from overseas and a high percentage of people moving house recently.
Explore Northern Territory by topic
The area is far younger than the national average, with 21% of people being children under 15 and only 9% aged 65 or over. Around 26.3% of the population are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, a figure that has barely changed since 2011.
Most residents were born in Australia (69.5%), and the number of people born overseas is well below the national figure at 21.8%. However, this group has grown by 5.2 percentage points since 2011.
Language diversity is very high here, with 32.4% of people using a language other than English at home, which is far above the national figure. This has risen by 5.6 percentage points since 2011.
About 38.5% of people report no religion, which is about the same as the national figure. This represents a significant increase of 15 percentage points since 2011.
Educational attainment is lower than the national figure, with only 49.8% of people completing Year 12. However, there has been progress, as the number of adults with a bachelor degree or higher rose 6.6 percentage points since 2011.
Typical incomes are a little above the national figure, with the usual family earning $2,213 a week. High earners are more common here, as the share of households earning $3,000 or more a week rose 12 percentage points since 2011.
Residents report fewer long-term health issues than most of Australia, with only 19.8% having a long-term condition. People needing help with daily activities are also much less common here than in other areas.
Caring for children unpaid is very common here at 30.2%, which is well above the national figure. The area also has a higher rate of former Defence Force members compared to the rest of the country.
First Nations people make up a significant part of the community, with 60.1% speaking a First Nations language. However, they face challenges, with an unemployment rate of 20.8% and Year 12 completion far below the national figure.
Homes tend to be larger than usual, with 2.8 people per home. One-parent families are also more common here than in most other areas, making up 17.5% of households.
Renting is far more common than the national figure, with 47.6% of households renting. Very few people own their homes outright (15.8%), and the typical monthly mortgage payment is $2,000.
Car use is dominant, as very few people commute by public transport (2.2%) and working from home is far less common than the national figure. About 11.1% of homes have no motor vehicle.
The population is quite mobile, with 42% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas are also well above the national figure at 21%.
Full-time employment is well above the national average at 68.7%. The largest industries for workers are public administration and safety, followed by health care and social assistance.
The population is estimated at 264,556 people and has grown by 6.6% since 2021.
The region is very hot, with both average maximum and minimum temperatures being among the highest in the country. Annual rainfall is lower than in most other similar areas.
The area is considered somewhat walkable, with 81.6% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a park. However, street connectivity is very low.