4713.5.55.001 - Population Characteristics, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, Western Australia, 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 04/05/2010  Final
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NOTES


INQUIRIES

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


SUMMARY COMMENTARY


SUMMARY CHARACTERISTICS, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

As at 30 June 2006, the preliminary Estimated Indigenous Resident Population (ERP) in Western Australia was 77,928 (3.8% of all people in Western Australia).

Some key characteristics of the Indigenous population in Western Australia, based on 2006 Census usual residence data, are listed below.

  • More than half (56%) of Indigenous respondents were under 25 years of age.
  • On average there were 3.5 people per Indigenous household.
  • An Australian Indigenous language was spoken at home by 14% of Indigenous respondents.
  • 36% and 19% of respondents aged 15 years and over stated Year 10 and Year 12 or equivalent respectively as their highest level of schooling.
  • 53% of Indigenous respondents aged 15 years and over were in the labour force. Of these respondents, unemployed persons accounted for 14%.
  • The most common Occupations reported were Labourers, Community and Personal Service Workers, and Technicians and Trades Workers (28%, 15% and 12% respectively).
  • The most common Industries of employment reported were Public Administration and Safety (17%), Health Care and Social Assistance (16%), and Education and Training (9%).
  • 62% of Indigenous households were living in rented dwellings and 30% of households were living in dwellings that were owned with or without a mortgage.

Summary Characteristics, Western Australia
Indigenous
Non-Indigenous
Male
Female
Total
Male
Female
Total
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
Persons(a)
Estimated Resident Population(b)
39 289
38 639
77 928
1 000 364
980 753
1 981 117
Language spoken at home
English only
22 428
24 041
46 469
. .
. .
. .
Australian Indigenous Languages
3 692
3 925
7 617
. .
. .
. .
Other Languages
327
295
622
. .
. .
. .
Total(c)
26 447
28 261
54 708
. .
. .
. .
Education
Attending
Pre-school
704
680
1 384
13 069
12 264
25 333
Infants/Primary
4 633
4 318
8 951
81 413
76 759
158 172
Secondary
2 338
2 217
4 555
55 180
54 984
110 164
Technical or Further Educational Institution(d)
440
591
1 031
19 228
20 084
39 312
University
227
547
774
30 892
40 930
71 822
Other/Institution not stated(e)
1 012
1 184
2 196
13 350
15 674
29 024
Total(c)
9 354
9 537
18 891
213 132
220 695
433 827
Highest year of school completed(f)
Year 12 or equivalent
2 615
3 449
6 060
314 563
337 224
651 786
Year 11 or equivalent
2 086
2 621
4 708
81 314
84 133
165 449
Year 10 or equivalent
5 316
6 058
11 376
188 559
185 887
374 450
Year 9 or equivalent
1 923
1 887
3 806
41 046
39 273
80 321
Year 8 or below
2 165
2 023
4 193
34 989
36 147
71 141
Did not go to school
529
554
1 082
3 754
4 924
8 679
Total(c)
14 631
16 594
31 224
664 233
687 599
1 351 832
Highest non-school qualification(f)
Postgraduate Degree
40
59
99
18 628
12 773
31 401
Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate
31
78
109
7 556
12 950
20 506
Bachelor Degree
261
646
907
77 623
93 799
171 422
Advanced Diploma and Diploma
270
544
814
48 970
65 582
114 552
Certificate Level
2 276
1 764
4 040
182 861
85 008
267 869
Total(c)
2 878
3 091
5 969
335 638
270 112
605 750
Work
Labour force status
Employed
8 520
7 126
15 649
500 572
412 312
912 889
Unemployed
1 428
1 180
2 603
17 292
16 341
33 632
Total labour force
9 944
8 305
18 249
517 861
428 657
946 521
Not in the labour force
6 769
9 522
16 287
170 479
283 170
453 649
Top three industries for Indigenous persons(g)
Public Administration and Safety
1 393
1 203
2 596
. .
. .
. .
Health Care and Social Assistance
1 002
1 542
2 544
. .
. .
. .
Education and Training
324
1 066
1 390
. .
. .
. .
Top three industries for non-Indigenous persons(g)
Retail Trade
. .
. .
. .
42 005
60 608
102 613
Health Care and Social Assistance
. .
. .
. .
18 821
73 132
91 953
Manufacturing
. .
. .
. .
66 498
20 179
86 677
Top three occupations for Indigenous persons(g)
Labourers
2 951
1 490
4 441
. .
. .
. .
Community and Personal Service Workers
669
1 677
2 346
. .
. .
. .
Technicians and Trades Workers
1 555
246
1 801
. .
. .
. .
Top three occupations for non-Indigenous persons(g)
Professionals
. .
. .
. .
82 729
88 809
171 538
Technicians and Trades Workers
. .
. .
. .
128 723
21 619
150 342
Clerical and Administrative Workers
. .
. .
. .
28 856
104 566
133 422
Mean weekly equivalised household income ($)(h)
. .
. .
447
. .
. .
777
Dwellings
Occupied private dwelling(i)
. .
. .
18 382
. .
. .
684 784
Average household size
. .
. .
3.5
. .
. .
2.5
Average number of Children under 15
. .
. .
1.2
. .
. .
0.5
Housing tenure
Owned outright
. .
. .
1 410
. .
. .
219 360
Owned with a mortgage
. .
. .
4 172
. .
. .
260 306
Rented
Private
. .
. .
3 734
. .
. .
134 129
State/Territory housing authority
. .
. .
4 758
. .
. .
23 863
Community housing group
. .
. .
2 063
. .
. .
2 993
Other
-
-
685
-
-
13 186
Landlord type not stated
. .
. .
223
. .
. .
5 731
Total Rented
. .
. .
11 463
. .
. .
179 902
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) Based on place of usual residence.
(b) Estimates at 30 June 2006 are preliminary and subject to revision. See Glossary. Note: Final estimates have now been released and are available in publication 3238.0.55.001 - Experimental Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, June 2006.
(c) Excludes persons whose response was not stated.
(d) Includes TAFE Colleges.
(e) Other includes persons who are attending but did not indicate the type of institution.
(f) Persons aged 15 years and over.
(g) Employed persons aged 15 years and over.
(h) Comprises persons in households in which there were no temporarily absent adults and all incomes were fully stated.
(i) Excludes non-classifiable households and visitor only households.
Note: . . not applicable