Torres Strait Islands

Demographics & education

People tables are based on a person's place of usual residence on Census night

In the 2016 Census, there were 4,514 people in Torres Strait Islands. Of these 50.8% were male and 49.2% were female. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 91.8% of the population.

The median age of people in Torres Strait Islands was 24 years. Children aged 0 - 14 years made up 34.6% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 4.9% of the population.

Of people in Torres Strait Islands aged 15 years and over, 22.9% were married and 3.4% were either divorced or separated.

In Torres Strait Islands, of people aged 15 years and over, 20.9% of people were in a registered marriage and 26.1% were in a de facto marriage.

In Torres Strait Islands 35.6% of people were attending an educational institution. Of these, 48.7% were in primary school, 13.6% in secondary school and 5.7% in a tertiary or technical institution.

Of people aged 15 and over in Torres Strait Islands, 20.6% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 19.5% had completed a Certificate III or IV and 4.5% had completed an Advanced Diploma or Diploma.

Cultural & language diversity

The most common ancestries in Torres Strait Islands were Torres Strait Islander 64.6%, Australian Aboriginal 8.3%, Papua New Guinean 6.5%, Australian 3.6% and Maritime South-East Asian, nec 2.6%.

Respondents had the option of reporting up to two ancestries on their Census form, and this is captured by the Ancestry Multi Response (ANCP) variable used in this table. Therefore, the total responses count will not equal the persons count for this area. Calculated percentages represent a proportion of all responses from people in Torres Strait Islands (including those who did not state an ancestry).

In Torres Strait Islands, 94.0% of people were born in Australia. The only other responses for country of birth were Papua New Guinea 3.3%, New Zealand 0.3%, Netherlands 0.1% and Finland 0.1%.

In Torres Strait Islands, 80.6% of people had both parents born in Australia and 5.7% of people had both parents born overseas.

In Torres Strait Islands, the most common countries of birth for male parents were Australia 84.9%, Papua New Guinea 7.1%, New Zealand 0.4%, Tuvalu 0.1% and Netherlands 0.1%.

In Torres Strait Islands, the most common countries of birth for female parents were Australia 83.9%, Papua New Guinea 7.4%, New Zealand 0.4%, England 0.2% and Cook Islands 0.1%.

The most common responses for religion in Torres Strait Islands were Anglican 38.9%, Pentecostal 12.7%, Christian, nfd 12.3%, Not stated 10.2% and Catholic 8.5%. In Torres Strait Islands, Christianity was the largest religious group reported overall (86.0%) (this figure excludes not stated responses).

In Torres Strait Islands 5.4% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole) 56.0%, Kalaw Kawaw Ya/Kalaw Lagaw Ya 11.2%, Meriam Mir 2.7%, Kiwai 0.4% and Motu (HiriMotu) 0.2%.

Employment

There were 1,153 people who reported being in the labour force in the week before Census night in Torres Strait Islands. Of these 46.6% were employed full time, 31.6% were employed part-time and 15.9% were unemployed.

The ABS Labour Force Survey provides the official estimates of Australia's unemployment rate. More information about Census and labour force status is provided in Understanding the Census and Census Data.

Of employed people in Torres Strait Islands, 13.4% worked 1 to 15 hours, 8.6% worked 16 to 24 hours and 35.0% worked 40 hours or more.

The most common occupations in Torres Strait Islands included Professionals 21.3%, Community and Personal Service Workers 17.5%, Labourers 16.4%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 13.2%, Technicians and Trades Workers 11.6%, Managers 7.4%, Sales Workers 6.6% and Machinery Operators and Drivers 1.4%.

Of the employed people in Torres Strait Islands, the most common responses for industry of employment included Local Government Administration 26.8%, Primary Education 11.4%, Combined Primary and Secondary Education 6.5%, Supermarket and Grocery Stores 6.1% and Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) 6.0%.

The median weekly personal income for people aged 15 years and over in Torres Strait Islands was $373.

View the data quality statements for: Total personal income (INCP) Total family income (FINF) Total household income (HIND)

In Torres Strait Islands, on the day of the Census, the most common methods of travel to work for employed people included Walked only 53.0%, Car, as driver 23.3%, Car, as passenger 9.0%, Other 5.5% and Bicycle 1.3%. On the day, 0.7% of employed people used public transport (train, bus, ferry, tram/light rail) as at least one of their methods of travel to work and 33.9% used car (either as driver or as passenger).

In Torres Strait Islands, of people aged 15 years and over, 65.2% did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census. During the two weeks before the Census, 35.9% provided care for children and 8.6% assisted family members or others due to a disability, long term illness or problems related to old age. In the year before the Census, 19.0% of people did voluntary work through an organisation or a group.

View the data quality statements for: Unpaid domestic work (DOMP) Unpaid child care (CHCAREP) Unpaid assistance (UNCAREP) Voluntary work (VOLWP)

Of people who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census in Torres Strait Islands, 17.9% worked 5 to 14 hours, 5.0% worked 15 to 29 hours and 10.6% worked 30 hours or more.

Family composition

Of the families in Torres Strait Islands, 46.8% were couple families with children, 12.9% were couple families without children and 37.0% were one parent families.

In Torres Strait Islands, 19.7% of single parents were male and 80.3% were female.

Employment status of couple families

In Torres Strait Islands, of couple families with children, 10.1% had both partners employed full-time, 4.0% had both employed part-time and 7.9% had one employed full-time and the other part-time.

The ABS Labour Force Survey provides the official estimates of Australia's unemployment rate. More information about Census and labour force status is provided in Understanding the Census and Census Data.

Dwelling structure

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households

In Torres Strait Islands, 87.9% of private dwellings were occupied and 12.1% were unoccupied.

View the data quality statements for: Dwelling type (DWTD) Dwelling Structure (STRD)

Of occupied private dwellings in Torres Strait Islands, 93.9% were separate houses, 5.3% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses etc, 0.8% were flats or apartments and 0.0% were other dwellings.

In Torres Strait Islands, of occupied private dwellings 2.3% had 1 bedroom, 13.1% had 2 bedrooms and 31.1% had 3 bedrooms. The average number of bedrooms per occupied private dwelling was 3.6. The average household size was 3.8 people.

View the data quality statements for: Number of bedrooms in a private dwelling (BEDD) Number of persons usually resident in dwelling (NPRD)

Of occupied private dwellings in Torres Strait Islands, 3.1% were owned outright, 0.0% were owned with a mortgage and 91.7% were rented.

Household composition

In Torres Strait Islands, of all households, 79.2% were family households, 19.9% were single person households and 0.9% were group households.

In Torres Strait Islands, 32.4% of households had a weekly household income of less than $650 and 3.2% of households had a weekly income of more than $3000.

Mortgage & rent

Proportions are calculated using all tenure types for occupied private dwellings. This excludes visitor only and other non-classifiable households.

The number of households where rent payments were 30% or more of an imputed income measure are expressed in this table as a proportion of the total number of households in an area (including those households which were not renting, and excluding the small proportion of visitor only and other non-classifiable households). The nature of the income imputation means that the reported proportion may significantly overstate the true proportion.

The number of households where mortgage repayments were 30% or more of an imputed income measure are expressed in this table as a proportion of the total number of households in an area (including those households which were renting, and excluding the small proportion of visitor only and other non-classifiable households). The nature of the income imputation means that the reported proportion may significantly overstate the true proportion.

Number of motor vehicles

In Torres Strait Islands, 28.8% of occupied private dwellings had one registered motor vehicle garaged or parked at their address, 7.4% had two registered motor vehicles and 2.1% had three or more registered motor vehicles.

Internet connection

In Torres Strait Islands, 67.2% of households had at least one person access the internet from the dwelling. This could have been through a desktop/laptop computer, mobile or smart phone, tablet, music or video player, gaming console, smart TV or any other device.

People characteristics

In Torres Strait Islands, 50.6% of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people were male and 49.4% were female. The median age was 23 years.

View the data quality statements for: Place of Usual Residence (PURP) Indigenous status (INGP)

Dwelling characteristics

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households. These tables represent occupied private dwellings where at least one Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait islander person was present.

In Torres Strait Islands, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the average household size was 3.8 persons, with 1.1 persons per bedroom. The median household income was $904.

View the data quality statements for: Number of Bedrooms in Private Dwelling (BEDD) Household composition (HHCD) Indigenous household Indicator (INGDWTD)

In Torres Strait Islands, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the median weekly rent was $120 and the median monthly mortgage repayment was $0.

View the data quality statements for: Rent weekly payments (RNTD) Mortgage monthly repayments (MRED) Indigenous household Indicator (INGDWTD)