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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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). |