2075.0 - Census of Population and Housing - Counts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2011  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 21/06/2012  First Issue
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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).