2011 CENSUS COUNTS — ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLES

In 2011, there were 548,370 people identified as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin and counted in the Census.

Of these people, 90% were of Aboriginal origin only, 6% were of Torres Strait Islander origin only and 4% identified as being of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin. These proportions have changed very little in the last ten year period.

In the Northern Territory, just under 27% of the population identified and were counted as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin in the 2011 Census. In all other jurisdictions, 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.

2011 CENSUS COUNTS(a) — Indigenous Status by State and Territory
	INDIGENOUS STATUS						PROPORTION OF POPULATION
	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples		Non-Indigenous	Status not stated	Total		Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
State/Territory	no.	%	no.	no.	no.		%
New South Wales	172 624	31.5	6 402 111	342 923	6 917 658		2.5
Victoria	37 991	6.9	5 069 156	246 893	5 354 040		0.7
Queensland	155 825	28.4	3 952 706	224 206	4 332 737		3.6
South Australia	30 431	5.5	1 503 205	62 934	1 596 570		1.9
Western Australia	69 665	12.7	2 038 786	130 719	2 239 170		3.1
Tasmania	19 625	3.6	456 345	19 380	495 350		4.0
Northern Territory	56 779	10.4	137 774	17 391	211 944		26.8
Australian Capital Territory	5 184	0.9	338 030	14 005	357 219		1.5
Australia(b)	548 370	100.0	19 900 764	1 058 586	21 507 719		2.5
(a) Usual residence Census counts, excludes overseas visitors.
(b) Includes Other Territories, comprising Jervis Bay Territory, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island.
Note: Totals and components may not be consistent within and between tables due to introduced random error to protect confidentiality of Census respondents. See: Census Dictionary, 2011 (cat. no. 2901.0).

CAPITAL CITIES AND REST OF STATE

In the 2011 Census, one-third (33%) of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population lived in Capital City areas.

States with relatively high proportions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in Capital Cities include South Australia (51%) and Victoria (47%). In contrast, 80% of the population who both identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin and who were counted in the Northern Territory lived outside the Capital City area.

Likewise, in Queensland, 73% of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population lived outside the Capital City area.

2011 CENSUS COUNTS — Indigenous status by Capital City and Rest of State(a)
	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples	Non-Indigenous	Status not stated	Total peoples	Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within Capital City/Rest of State Areas
Capital City/Rest of State	no.	no.	no.	no.	%
NSW
Greater Sydney	54 746	4 105 767	231 160	4 391 673	31.7
Rest of State	116 961	2 285 568	110 423	2 512 952	67.8
No Usual Address	915	10 673	1 330	12 918	0.5
Total NSW	172 622	6 402 112	342 923	6 917 657	100.0
Vic
Greater Melbourne	18 023	3 791 940	190 019	3 999 982	47.4
Rest of State	19 683	1 269 936	56 096	1 345 715	51.8
No Usual Address	284	7 245	777	8 306	0.7
Total Vic.	37 990	5 069 155	246 895	5 354 040	100.0
Qld
Greater Brisbane	41 904	1 931 741	92 353	2 065 998	26.9
Rest of State	113 188	2 009 949	130 585	2 253 722	72.6
No Usual Address	721	10 628	1 194	12 543	0.5
Total Qld	155 825	3 952 707	224 205	4 332 737	100.0
SA
Greater Adelaide	15 597	1 162 524	47 113	1 225 234	51.3
Rest of State	14 671	338 005	15 584	368 260	48.2
No Usual Address	165	2 668	236	3 069	0.5
Total SA	30 433	1 503 203	62 933	1 596 569	100.0
WA
Greater Perth	27 103	1 610 150	91 612	1 728 865	38.9
Rest of State	42 101	422 197	38 296	502 594	60.4
No Usual Address	455	6 100	742	7 297	0.7
Total WA	69 666	2 038 786	130 718	2 239 170	100.0
Tas
Greater Hobart	6 895	196 199	8 561	211 655	35.1
Rest of State	12 650	259 118	10 742	282 510	64.5
No Usual Address	74	929	69	1 072	0.4
Total Tas.	19 626	456 346	19 379	495 351	100.0
NT
Greater Darwin	11 101	97 260	12 225	120 586	19.6
Rest of Territory	45 541	38 912	4 923	89 376	80.2
No Usual Address	133	1 510	230	1 873	0.2
Total NT	56 778	137 773	17 393	211 944	100.0
ACT
Australian Capital Territory	5 157	337 460	13 969	356 586	99.5
No Usual Address	26	570	35	631	0.5
Total ACT	5 186	338 030	14 004	357 220	100.0
Australia(c)	548 370	19 900 762	1 058 586	21 507 719
(a) Usual residence Census counts, excludes overseas visitors.
(b) Includes Other Territories, comprising Jervis Bay Territory, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island.
Note: Totals and components may not be consistent within and between tables due to introduced random error to protect confidentiality of Census respondents. See: Census Dictionary, 2011 (cat. no. 2901.0).

AGE PROFILE

In the 2011 Census, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population had a younger age distribution than the non-Indigenous population, reflecting higher fertility and lower life expectancy.
The median age (the age at which half the population is older and half the population is younger) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples was 21 years compared with 37 years of age for non-Indigenous people.
The Northern Territory had the highest median age (23 years) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Queensland had the lowest median age (20 years).

Nationally, more than one in three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were under 15 years of age (36%), while 4% were aged 65 years and over. The age profile of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait population varied only slightly between the states and territories. Queensland had the highest proportion of children aged under 15 years (38%).Tasmania had the highest proportion of older peoples aged 65 years and over (5%).

2011 CENSUS COUNT — ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLES(a) – Age by State and Territory
	Total	People aged 0–14	People aged 15–64	People aged 65 and over	Median age
State/Territory	no.	%	%	%	years
New South Wales	172 624	36.3	59.5	4.2	21
Victoria	37 991	35.2	60.5	4.3	22
Queensland	155 825	37.5	59.1	3.4	20
South Australia	30 431	34.7	61.2	4.1	22
Western Australia	69 665	35.2	61.4	3.3	22
Tasmania	19 625	35.3	60.2	4.5	22
Northern Territory	56 779	33.2	63.4	3.4	23
Australian Capital Territory	5 184	32.6	65.3	2.1	22
Australia(b)	548 370	35.9	60.3	3.8	21
(a) Usual residence Census counts, excludes overseas visitors.
(b) Includes Other Territories, comprising Jervis Bay Territory, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island.
Note: Totals and components may not be consistent within and between tables due to introduced random error to protect confidentiality of Census respondents. See: Census Dictionary, 2011 (cat. no. 2901.0).