232,605 ▲ +9.7%
- 2011: 211,945
- 2016: 228,833
- 2021: 232,605
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Northern Territory · State / Territory
Demographics & Identity in Northern Territory
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
A notably young population defines the Northern Territory, where the typical resident is just 33 years old. This is much lower than most other areas in Australia. With 232,605 people, the region is characterized by a high proportion of children and a very small number of seniors compared to the rest of the country.
232,605
▲ +9.7%
- 4,788–6,243: 1 area
- 6,243–8,140: 0 areas
- 8,140–10,614: 0 areas
- 10,614–13,840: 0 areas
- 13,840–18,046: 0 areas
- 18,046–23,530: 0 areas
- 23,530–30,681: 0 areas
- 30,681–40,004: 0 areas
- 40,004–52,162: 0 areas
- 52,162–68,014: 0 areas
- 68,014–88,683: 0 areas
- 88,683–115,634: 0 areas
- 115,634–150,775: 0 areas
- 150,775–196,595: 0 areas
- 196,595–256,340: 1 area
- 256,340–334,241: 0 areas
- 334,241–435,817: 0 areas
- 435,817–568,262: 2 areas
- 568,262–740,956: 0 areas
- 740,956–966,133: 0 areas
- 966,133–1,259,740: 0 areas
- 1,259,740–1,642,575: 0 areas
- 1,642,575–2,141,752: 1 area
- 2,141,752–2,792,630: 1 area
- 2,792,630–3,641,309: 0 areas
- 3,641,309–4,747,901: 0 areas
- 4,747,901–6,190,786: 1 area
- 6,190,786–8,072,163: 2 areas
All state / territory areas, 2021. The marker is Northern Territory.
| Northern Territory | 232,605 |
|---|---|
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
The typical person here is 33, making the Territory noticeably younger than the Australian figure of 38. This is the lowest typical age among all similar areas, though it has risen by two years since 2011.
33 yrs ▲ +6.5%
- 2011: 31 yrs
- 2016: 32 yrs
- 2021: 33 yrs
Half the population is older than this age, and half younger.
Age profile
How the population splits across age groups.
Children under 15 make up 21% of the population, which is among the highest across similar areas and a little above the national figure. In contrast, seniors aged 65 and over account for only 9%, a figure well below the Australian average of 17.2%.
9.0% ▲ +56.8%
- 2011: 5.7%
- 2016: 7.2%
- 2021: 9.0%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
21.0% ▼ -9.3%
- 2011: 23.2%
- 2016: 21.6%
- 2021: 21.0%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →In Northern Territory, the largest group is Young adults (25–44) at 34%, followed by Older adults (45–64) (23%) and Children (0–14) (21%).
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 26.3% of the population, which is far above the national figure of 3.2%. People in de facto relationships also make up 15.3% of the population, which is well above the national average.
26.3% ▼ -1.9%
- 2011: 26.8%
- 2016: 25.5%
- 2021: 26.3%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
15.3% ▲ +2.8%
- 2011: 14.9%
- 2016: 15.9%
- 2021: 15.3%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →Northern Territory splits fairly evenly between Never married (44%) and Married (42%), with Divorced at 7%.
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Northern Territory
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Northern Territory [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/ste/7/northern-territory/topic/demographics-identity