Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples –
Australia (2011 and 2006)
2011
2006
Change
548,370
455,023
20.5%
495,757
407,699
21.6%
Torres Strait Islander only
31,407
29,512
6.4%
Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
21,206
17,812
19.05%
21
20
1
Percentage of males 34 years and under
69.9%
71.8%
-1.9%
Percentage of females 34 years and under
66.7%
68.7%
-2.0%
Median income – personal (weekly)
362
278
30.2%
Median income – household (weekly)
991
791
25.3%
Dwellings owned outright
23,332
18,365
27.0%
Dwellings owned with a mortgage
51,760
38,643
33.9%
Dwellings rented
124,098
100,402
23.6%
195
140
39.3%
1,647
1,127
46.1%
3.3
3.3
-
1.2
1.3
-0.1
81,556
55,096
48.0%
Total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
population
Aboriginal only
Median age
Median weekly household rent
Median monthly household mortgage
repayments
Average people per household
Number of people per bedroom
Persons who have completed year 12 or
equivalent
Note: Data about dwellings refers to occupied private dwellings containing at least one
person of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples –
identification by Australia and state/territory
(2011 and 2006)
Area
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Proportion of State/Territory population
2011
2006
Change
2011
2006
Australia
548,370
455,023
20.51%
2.5%
2.3%
NSW
172,624
138,507
24.63%
2.5%
2.1%
VIC
37,991
30,143
26.04%
0.7%
0.6%
QLD
155,825
127,580
22.14 %
3.6%
3.3%
SA
30,431
25,557
19.07%
1.9%
1.7%
WA
69,665
58,711
18.66%
3.1%
3.0%
TAS
19,625
16,767
17.05%
4.0%
3.5%
NT
56,779
53,662
5.81%
26.8%
27.8%
ACT
5,184
3,872
33.86%
1.5%
1.2%
Key Points




The change between Censuses (or “intercensal change”) represents the change in the
proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people counted in the Census between
2006 and 2011.
In the Northern Territory, 26.8% of the population identified and were counted as being of
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin in the 2011 Census.
In all other states and territories, 4% or less of the population were of Aboriginal and/or
Torres Strait Islander origin.
Victoria has the lowest proportion at 0.7% of the state total.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples –
age by state and territory
Area
Age 0-14
Age 15-64
65 and over
Median age
Australia
35.9%
60.3%
3.8%
21
NSW
36.3%
59.5%
4.2%
21
VIC
35.2%
60.5%
4.3%
22
QLD
37.5%
59.1%
3.4%
20
SA
34.7%
61.2%
4.1%
22
WA
35.2%
61.4%
3.3%
22
TAS
35.3%
60.2%
4.5%
22
NT
33.2%
63.4%
3.4%
23
ACT
32.6%
65.3%
2.1%
22
Key Points




The Northern Territory had the highest median age (23) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islanders.
Queensland had the lowest median age (20 years).
Queensland had the highest proportion of children aged less than 15 years (37.5%).
Tasmania had the highest proportion of older people aged 65 years and over (4.5%).
Aboriginal
and Torres
Strait
Islander
peoples
people
living in
Greater
capital city
Aboriginal
and Torres
Strait
Islander
peoples
NonIndigenous
Status not
stated
Total
persons
Change
2006-2011
Aboriginal
and Torres
Strait
Islander
peoples
Number
Number
Number
Number
Percentage
Percentage
54,746
4,105,767
231,160
4,391,673
25.8
31.71%
Total NSW
Greater
Melbourne
Total VIC
Greater
Brisbane
Total QLD
Greater
Adelaide
Total SA
172,622
6,402,112
342,923
6,917,657
24.6
18,023
3,791,940
190,019
3,999,982
27.6
37,990
5,069,155
246,895
5,354,040
26.0
41,904
1,931,741
92,353
2,065,998
37.0
155,825
3,952,707
224,205
4,332,737
22.1
15,597
1,162,524
47,113
1,225,234
25.2
30,433
1,503,203
62,933
1,596,569
19.1
Greater Perth
27,103
1 610 150
91 612
1,728,865
27.1
Total WA
69,665
2,038,789
130,718
2,239,714
18.7
6,895
196,199
8,561
211,655
20.3
Total TAS
19,626
456,346
19,379
495,351
17.0
Greater Darwin
11,101
97,260
12,225
120,586
8.2
Total NT
56,778
137,773
17,393
211,944
5.8
Total ACT
5,186
338,030
14,004
357,220
33.8
Australia
548,370
19,900,762
1,058,586
21,507,719
20.5
Area
Greater Sydney
Greater Hobart
47.44%
26.89%
51.25%
38.90%
35.13%
19.55%
35.84%
(excluding
ACT)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status by
capital city and state/territory
Area
Aboriginal
and/or Torres
Strait Islander
households *
All households
Australia
$195
$285
NSW
$200
$300
VIC
$200
$277
QLD
$220
$300
SA
$165
$220
WA
$158
$300
TAS
$190
$200
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples –
median household rent (weekly)
NT
$75
$225
ACT
$305
$380
* Households that had at least one resident who identified as
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples –
median household mortgage repayments
(monthly)
Area
Aboriginal
and/or Torres
Strait Islander
households*
All households
Australia
$1,647
$1,800
NSW
$1,686
$1,993
VIC
$1,500
$1,700
QLD
$1,733
$1,850
SA
$1,347
$1,500
WA
$1,733
$1,950
TAS
$1,300
$1,300
NT
$1,957
$2,058
ACT
$2,167
$2,167
* Households that had at least one resident who identified as
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples –
median household income (weekly)
Area
Aboriginal
and/or Torres
Strait Islander
households*
All households
Australia
$991
$1,234
NSW
$941
$1,237
VIC
$962
$1,216
QLD
$1,066
$1,235
SA
$842
$1,044
WA
$1,044
$1,415
TAS
$923
$948
NT
$1,099
$1,674
ACT
$1,666
$1,920
* Households that had at least one resident who identified as
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples –
median personal income (weekly)
Area
Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples
All persons
Australia
$362
$577
NSW
$375
$561
VIC
$390
$561
QLD
$384
$587
SA
$348
$534
WA
$348
$662
TAS
$395
$499
NT
$269
$744
ACT
$642
$917
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples –
median household income (weekly)
Australia – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander household*
Australia – Non-Indigenous household
NSW – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander household*
NSW – Non-Indigenous household
(2011 and 2006)
2011
2006
$991
$791
$1,241
$1,031
$941
$727
$1,247
$1,042
VIC – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander household*
$962
$763
VIC – Non-Indigenous household
$1,218
$1,023
QLD – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander household*
$1,066
$898
QLD – Non-Indigenous household
$1,243
$1,037
$842
$674
SA – Non-Indigenous household
$1,049
$891
WA – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander household*
$1,044
$787
WA – Non-Indigenous household
$1,425
$1,071
TAS – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander household*
$923
$774
TAS – Non-Indigenous household
$949
$802
NT – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander household*
$1,099
$837
NT – Non-Indigenous household
$1,811
$1,324
ACT – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander household*
$1,666
$1,221
ACT – Non-Indigenous household
$1,925
$1,512
SA – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander household*
* Households that had at least one resident who identified as Aboriginal or Torres
Strait Islander
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples –
average household size
Area
Average people per household
Aboriginal and/or Torres
Strait Islander households
All households
Australia
3.3
2.6
NSW
3.1
2.6
VIC
3.0
2.6
QLD
3.4
2.6
SA
3.0
2.4
WA
3.5
2.6
TAS
3.0
2.4
NT
4.2
2.9
ACT
3.1
2.6
* Households that had at least one resident who identified as
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples –
2011 year 12 completion rates
Area
Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander population
Have completed Proportion who
year 12 or
have completed
equivalent
year 12 or
equivalent
Total population
Have completed
year 12 or
equivalent
Proportion who
have completed
year 12 or
equivalent
Australia
81,556
25.0%
8,188,617
49.2%
NSW
23,878
23.6%
2,631,287
49.2%
VIC
6,636
29.1%
2,152,434
51.7%
QLD
28,630
31.7%
1,595,327
48.0%
SA
4,055
22.1%
560,614
44.8%
WA
9,030
21.2%
852,581
49.1%
TAS
2,773
23.4%
140,915
36.5%
NT
5,026
14.0%
62,501
39.9%
ACT
1,496
46.0%
192,246
69.1%
Note