3238.0.55.001 - Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, June 2011 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 30/08/2013   
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All

NOTES


ABOUT THIS RELEASE

This product contains final estimates of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, non-Indigenous and total populations of Australia at 30 June 2011, for various geographies.

Estimates are disaggregated by age (5-year age groups, with some single year of age data available) and sex for state and territory, Remoteness Areas and Indigenous Regions. Only total estimates for Statistical Areas Level 2 are available.

The estimates of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous populations presented in this publication are based on 2011 Census of Population and Housing counts adjusted for net undercount as measured by the Post Enumeration Survey. The extent of undercoverage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in the 2011 Census and the relatively small sample size of the Post Enumeration Survey to adjust for that undercoverage means the estimates should be interpreted with a degree of caution.

Description of the methods used to produce the estimates are contained in the technical note in this product.

Single year of age population estimates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for 30 June 2011 should be used with caution. The estimates are subject to errors that cannot be comprehensively adjusted for within the population estimates compilation process, given the limited ability to estimate Census undercount by Indigenous status and other demographic characteristics. Features present in single year of age Census counts may be likely to appear in population estimates even after adjustments for undercount and other factors have been applied. The ABS recommends that five year age groups should be used in preference to single year of age data wherever possible, particularly for states and territories with relatively small Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.


INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.


SUMMARY COMMENTARY


ESTIMATES OF ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER AUSTRALIANS

This publication presents the final population estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians as at 30 June 2011. They replace the preliminary estimates released on 27 September 2012 in Australian Demographic Statistics, March Quarter 2012 (cat. no. 3101.0). Details of the methodology used in calculating these estimates are provided in Technical Note: Estimated Resident Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Population - Method of Calculation.

The final estimated resident Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of Australia as at 30 June 2011 was 669,900 people, or 3% of the total Australian population. This population estimate represents a large increase in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population estimates from the estimate of 517 000 for 30 June 2006. This change will be explored in the upcoming publication Census of Population and Housing: Understanding the Increase in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Counts Between 2006 and 2011 (cat. no. 2077.0).

Of the states and territories, the largest populations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians lived in New South Wales (208,500 people) and Queensland (189,000 people). The smallest population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians lived in The Australian Capital Territory (6,200 people).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians comprised 30% of the population of the Northern Territory, the highest proportion of any state or territory.

Estimated resident population, Indigenous status, 30 June 2011

Estimated resident population
Median age
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Non-Indigenous
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Non- Indigenous
no.
%
no.
years
years

Males

NSW
103 907
2.9
3 481 202
20.6
37.2
Vic.
23 543
0.9
2 717 416
21.1
36.3
Qld
94 082
4.2
2 139 877
20.2
36.5
SA
18 554
2.3
793 291
21.5
38.8
WA
43 731
3.7
1 141 319
22.0
36.1
Tas.
12 076
4.7
242 714
20.9
40.5
NT
34 479
28.4
87 004
23.0
35.0
ACT
3 181
1.7
179 815
21.5
33.9
Aust.(a)
333 683
3.0
10 784 551
21.1
36.8

Females

NSW
104 569
2.9
3 528 851
22.2
38.9
Vic.
23 790
0.9
2 773 068
22.2
38.2
Qld
94 872
4.2
2 147 947
21.7
37.8
SA
18 854
2.3
808 915
23.1
40.9
WA
44 539
3.8
1 123 820
22.9
37.5
Tas.
12 089
4.7
244 604
22.5
42.1
NT
34 371
31.3
75 438
24.5
34.5
ACT
2 979
1.6
182 010
22.8
35.5
Aust.(a)
336 198
3.0
10 885 592
22.5
38.5

Persons

NSW
208 476
2.9
7 010 053
21.4
38.0
Vic.
47 333
0.9
5 490 484
21.7
37.3
Qld
188 954
4.2
4 287 824
21.0
37.2
SA
37 408
2.3
1 602 206
22.3
39.8
WA
88 270
3.8
2 265 139
22.4
36.8
Tas.
24 165
4.7
487 318
21.7
41.3
NT
68 850
29.8
162 442
23.8
34.8
ACT
6 160
1.7
361 825
22.1
34.7
Aust.(a)
669 881
3.0
21 670 143
21.8
37.6

(a) Includes Other Territories.



Age structure

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population at 30 June 2011 had a younger age structure than the non-Indigenous population, with larger proportions of young people and smaller proportions of older people. The median age of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population at 30 June 2011 was 21.8 years, compared to 37.6 years for the non-Indigenous population.
Graph: age distribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous population



Indigenous Status (individual categories)

Among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in 2011, 90% of people (606,200 people) identified as being of Aboriginal origin only, 6% (38,100) were of Torres Strait Islander origin only, and 4% (25,600) were of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin.

Estimated resident population, Indigenous status, 30 June 2011

Aboriginal only
Torres Strait Islander only
Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Total Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Non-Indigenous
Total
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.

NSW
198 920
5 723
3 833
208 476
7 010 053
7 218 529
Vic.
43 644
2 636
1 053
47 333
5 490 484
5 537 817
Qld
149 072
24 386
15 496
188 954
4 287 824
4 476 778
SA
35 483
1 253
672
37 408
1 602 206
1 639 614
WA
84 971
1 667
1 632
88 270
2 265 139
2 353 409
Tas.
21 869
1 428
868
24 165
487 318
511 483
NT
66 150
830
1 870
68 850
162 442
231 292
ACT
5 799
206
155
6 160
361 825
367 985
Aust.(a)
606 164
38 134
25 583
669 881
21 670 143
22 340 024

(a) Includes Other Territories.



Remoteness Areas

At 30 June 2011, around one-third of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people lived in Major Cities of Australia (233,100 people). A further 147,700 people lived in Inner Regional Australia and 146,100 people in Outer Regional Australia. The remainder lived in Remote Australia (51,300 people) or Very Remote Australia (91,600 people).

Estimated resident Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, Remoteness Areas, 30 June 2011

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Non-Indigenous
Total
Remoteness Areas
%
%
%

Major City Areas
34.8
71.3
70.2
Inner Regional
22.0
18.3
18.4
Outer Regional
21.8
8.7
9.1
Remote
7.7
1.2
1.4
Very Remote
13.7
0.5
0.9