Northern Territory

2016 Census Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people QuickStats
Geography type State/Territory
Area code 7
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people 58,246
Male 50.0%
Female 50.0%
Median age 25
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander households 12,757
Average people per household 4
Median weekly household income $1,225
Median monthly mortgage repayments $2,167
Median weekly rent $97

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People

demographics & education | cultural & language diversity | employment

Demographics & education

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

People Northern Territory % Northern Territory 2011 % 2011 Australia % Australia
Aboriginal 55,808 95.8 54,575 96.1 590,062 90.9
Torres Strait Islander 739 1.3 671 1.2 32,344 5.0
Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 1,699 2.9 1,533 2.7 26,767 4.1

For the 2016 Census in Northern Territory, there were 58,246 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. Of these, 50.0% were male and 50.0% were female.

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

Age Northern Territory % Northern Territory 2011 % 2011 Australia % Australia
Median age 25 -- 23 -- 23 --
0-4 years 5,596 9.6 6,118 10.8 73,265 11.3
5-14 years 11,889 20.4 12,745 22.4 147,134 22.7
15-24 years 11,103 19.1 10,963 19.3 123,719 19.1
25-34 years 9,634 16.5 9,034 15.9 88,861 13.7
35-44 years 7,708 13.2 7,709 13.6 72,394 11.2
45-54 years 6,396 11.0 5,309 9.4 67,415 10.4
55-64 years 3,715 6.4 2,992 5.3 45,433 7.0
65 years and over 2,211 3.8 1,903 3.4 30,952 4.8

In Northern Territory, the median age of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people was 25 years. Of the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people 30.0% were children aged 0 to 14 years and 3.8% were people aged 65 years and over.

View the data quality statement for Age (AGEP)
Registered marital status
People aged 15 years and over
Northern Territory % Northern Territory 2011 % 2011 Australia % Australia
Married 15,934 39.1 15,601 41.2 105,086 24.5
Separated 1,475 3.6 1,312 3.5 19,112 4.5
Divorced 1,318 3.2 1,374 3.6 28,796 6.7
Widowed 2,041 5.0 1,954 5.2 13,794 3.2
Never married 19,989 49.0 17,670 46.6 261,980 61.1

In Northern Territory, 39.1% of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people were married and 6.9% were either divorced or separated.

View the data quality statement for Registered marital status (MSTP)
Social marital status
People aged 15 years and over
Northern Territory % Northern Territory 2011 % 2011 Australia % Australia
Registered marriage 10,596 31.5 10,603 32.6 86,716 23.1
De facto marriage 4,254 12.7 3,429 10.5 60,051 16.0
Not married 18,769 55.8 18,487 56.8 228,281 60.9

In Northern Territory, 31.5% of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people were in a registered marriage and 12.7% were in a de facto marriage.

View the data quality statement for Social marital status (MDCP)
Education attendance Northern Territory % Northern Territory 2011 % 2011 Australia % Australia
Pre-school 1,339 6.0 1,193 5.6 16,698 6.4
Primary 7,755 34.5 8,354 39.0 97,859 37.5
Secondary 4,746 21.1 4,274 20.0 65,208 25.0
Technical or further education institution 470 2.1 497 2.3 14,227 5.5
University or tertiary institution 501 2.2 479 2.2 15,489 5.9
Other 285 1.3 457 2.1 5,047 1.9
Not stated 7,379 32.8 6,162 28.8 46,428 17.8

Of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in Northern Territory, 38.6% were attending an educational institution. Of these, 34.5% were attending a primary school, 21.1% were attending a secondary school and 4.3% were attending a tertiary or technical institution.

View the data quality statement for Educational Institution Attendee Status (TYSTAP)
Level of highest educational attainment
People aged 15 years and over
Northern Territory % Northern Territory 2011 % 2011 Australia % Australia
Bachelor Degree level and above 959 2.4 -- -- 24,911 5.8
Advanced Diploma and Diploma level 958 2.3 -- -- 23,795 5.5
Certificate level IV 736 1.8 -- -- 14,308 3.3
Certificate level III 2,485 6.1 -- -- 56,625 13.2
Year 12 4,164 10.2 -- -- 59,949 14.0
Year 11 3,808 9.3 -- -- 34,674 8.1
Year 10 6,545 16.1 -- -- 77,265 18.0
Certificate level II 144 0.4 -- -- 1,215 0.3
Certificate level I 92 0.2 -- -- 241 0.1
Year 9 or below 9,036 22.2 -- -- 64,604 15.1
No educational attainment 1,282 3.1 -- -- 4,256 1.0
Not stated 9,692 23.8 -- -- 56,698 13.2

Of people aged 15 and over in Northern Territory, 10.2% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 7.9% had completed a Certificate III or IV and 2.3% had completed an Advanced Diploma or Diploma.

2011 benchmarks are not available for this data item.

View the data quality statement for Level of highest educational attainment (HEAP)

Cultural & language diversity

Australian Indigenous language, top responses Northern Territory % Northern Territory 2011 % 2011 Australia % Australia
Kriol 4,365 7.5 3,956 7.0 7,108 1.1
Djambarrpuyngu 4,260 7.3 2,931 5.2 4,264 0.7
Warlpiri 2,157 3.7 2,374 4.2 2,276 0.4
Tiwi 1,993 3.4 2,158 3.8 2,020 0.3
Murrinh Patha 1,956 3.4 2,367 4.2 1,966 0.3
 null  null  null  null  null  null  null
English only spoken at home 17,680 30.4 18,243 32.1 544,491 83.9

English was the only language spoken at home by 30.4% of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in Northern Territory. Indigenous languages spoken at home include Kriol 7.5%, Djambarrpuyngu 7.3%, Warlpiri 3.7%, Tiwi 3.4% and Murrinh Patha 3.4%.

View the data quality statement for Language spoken at home (LANP)
Ancestry, top responses Northern Territory % Northern Territory 2011 % 2011 Australia % Australia
Australian Aboriginal 37,479 57.1 38,912 61.4 140,480 15.8
Australian 14,038 21.4 12,569 19.8 399,843 45.0
English 3,760 5.7 3,119 4.9 152,758 17.2
Irish 1,284 2.0 1,055 1.7 45,887 5.2
Scottish 871 1.3 626 1.0 30,843 3.5

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 Northern Territory (including those who did not state an ancestry).

For Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in Northern Territory, the most common ancestries were Australian Aboriginal 57.1%, Australian 21.4%, English 5.7%, Irish 2.0% and Scottish 1.3%.

View the data quality statement for Ancestry (ANCP)

Employment

Employment
People who reported being in the labour force, aged 15 years and over
Northern Territory % Northern Territory 2011 % 2011 Australia % Australia
Worked full-time 6,870 45.2 6,670 43.0 106,960 48.0
Worked part-time 3,130 20.6 4,338 28.0 61,049 27.4
Away from work 1,142 7.5 1,560 10.1 14,143 6.4
Unemployed 4,064 26.7 2,950 19.0 40,486 18.2
Not in the labour force 21,861 53.6 19,400 51.2 190,132 44.3

There were 15,206 people who reported being in the labour force in the week before Census night in Northern Territory. Of these 45.2% were employed full time, 20.6% were employed part-time and 26.7% 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.

For information on the Community Development Programme (CDP) please refer to the Census Data Dictionary. CDP data is available in TableBuilder.

View the data quality statement for Labour force status (LFSP)
Occupation, top responses
Employed people aged 15 years and over
Northern Territory % Northern Territory 2011 % 2011 Australia % Australia
Community and Personal Service Workers 2,356 21.2 2,430 19.4 30,991 17.0
Professionals 1,953 17.5 2,082 16.6 24,339 13.4
Clerical and Administrative Workers 1,546 13.9 1,545 12.3 23,174 12.7
Labourers 1,546 13.9 2,714 21.6 27,814 15.3
Technicians and Trades Workers 1,056 9.5 973 7.7 24,399 13.4
Machinery Operators and Drivers 679 6.1 675 5.4 16,774 9.2
Managers 647 5.8 597 4.8 12,844 7.1
Sales Workers 622 5.6 620 4.9 15,791 8.7

For Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in Northern Territory, the most common occupations were Community and Personal Service Workers 21.2%, Professionals 17.5%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 13.9%, Labourers 13.9%, Technicians and Trades Workers 9.5%, Machinery Operators and Drivers 6.1%, Managers 5.8% and Sales Workers 5.6%.

View the data quality statement for Occupation (OCCP)
Industry of employment, top responses
Employed people aged 15 years and over
Northern Territory % Northern Territory 2011 % 2011 Australia % Australia
Local Government Administration 881 7.9 2,238 18.0 5,511 3.0
State Government Administration 657 5.9 582 4.7 4,176 2.3
Supermarket and Grocery Stores 413 3.7 406 3.3 5,555 3.1
Central Government Administration 399 3.6 356 2.9 3,808 2.1
Primary Education 396 3.6 394 3.2 4,897 2.7

For Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in Northern Territory, the most common industries of employment were Local Government Administration 7.9%, State Government Administration 5.9%, Supermarket and Grocery Stores 3.7%, Central Government Administration 3.6% and Primary Education 3.6%.

View the data quality statement for Industry of employment (INDP)
Median weekly incomes
People aged 15 years and over
Northern Territory % Northern Territory 2011 % 2011 Australia % Australia
Personal 281 -- 269 -- 441 --
Household 1,225 -- 1,099 -- 1,203 --

The median weekly personal income for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in Northern Territory was $281 and the median weekly household income was $1,225.

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

Unpaid work
People aged 15 years and over
Northern Territory % Northern Territory 2011 % 2011 Australia % Australia
Did unpaid domestic work (last week) 25,146 61.7 23,866 62.9 263,334 61.4
Cared for child/children (last two weeks) 17,078 41.9 17,021 44.9 136,079 31.7
Provided unpaid assistance to a person with a disability (last two weeks) 6,038 14.8 5,983 15.8 58,541 13.7
Did voluntary work through an organisation or group (last 12 months) 4,298 10.5 3,407 9.0 63,303 14.8

In Northern Territory, of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, 61.7% did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census. During the two weeks before the Census, 41.9% provided care for children and 14.8% assisted family members or others due to a disability, long term illness or problems related to old age. In the year before the Census, 10.5% 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)

Dwellings

dwelling characteristics | dwelling structure

Dwelling characteristics

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households

Dwelling characteristics
Occupied private dwellings where at least one person was Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Northern Territory % Northern Territory 2011 % 2011 Australia % Australia
Average number of people per household 4 -- 4.2 -- 3.2 --
Average number of persons per bedroom 1.5 -- (a) -- 1 --
Average number of registered motor vehicles per dwelling 1.2 -- 1.1 -- 1.7 --

a) There has been change in methodology used to calculate the average number of persons per bedroom. To compare the time series for average number of persons per bedroom please refer to Understanding the Census and Census Data

In Northern Territory, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the average household size was 4 persons, with 1.5 persons per bedroom and 1.2 registered motor vehicles per dwelling.

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

Housing costs
Occupied private dwellings where at least one person was Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Northern Territory % Northern Territory 2011 % 2011 Australia % Australia
Median weekly rent 97 -- 75 -- 250 --
Median monthly mortgage repayments 2,167 -- 1,993 -- 1,660 --

In Northern Territory, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the median weekly rent was $97 and the median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167.

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

Family household composition
Counts the types of families within family households at the dwelling level
Northern Territory % Northern Territory 2011 % 2011 Australia % Australia
One family household: Couple family with no children 1,718 13.5 1,404 11.8 42,536 16.2
One family household: Couple family with children 3,854 30.2 3,637 30.6 80,803 30.7
One family household: One parent family 2,399 18.8 2,312 19.4 67,528 25.7
One family household: Other family 371 2.9 338 2.8 5,547 2.1
Multiple family household: Couple family with no children 390 3.1 178 1.5 2,223 0.8
Multiple family household: Couple family with children 1,086 8.5 1,338 11.2 4,951 1.9
Multiple family household: One parent family 826 6.5 817 6.9 5,768 2.2
Multiple family household: Other family 153 1.2 37 0.3 471 0.2
Other household 1,962 15.4 1,833 15.4 53,195 20.2

In Northern Territory, of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander households, 16.5% were a couple family with no children, 38.7% were a couple family with children and 25.3% were a one parent family.

In multiple family households, only the family composition of the primary family is recorded. Other household includes lone person households and group households.

View the data quality statement for Family Household Composition, dwelling level (HCFMD)

Dwelling structure

Dwelling structure
Occupied private dwellings where at least one person was Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Northern Territory % Northern Territory 2011 % 2011 Australia % Australia
Separate house 10,018 79.2 9,374 78.9 211,205 80.7
Semi-detached, row or terrace house, townhouse etc 1,307 10.3 690 5.8 27,017 10.3
Flat or apartment 1,047 8.3 1,203 10.1 20,580 7.9
Other dwelling 280 2.2 573 4.8 2,897 1.1

In Northern Territory there were 12,757 private dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. Where a dwelling type was stated, 79.2% were separate houses, 10.3% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses etc, 8.3% were flats or apartments and 2.2% were other dwellings.

View the data quality statement for Dwelling structure (STRD)
Tenure
Occupied private dwellings where at least one person was Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Northern Territory % Northern Territory 2011 % 2011 Australia % Australia
Owned outright 727 5.7 570 4.8 32,045 12.2
Owned with a mortgage 2,025 15.9 1,819 15.3 68,085 25.9
Rented 9,194 72.1 8,531 71.8 150,832 57.3
Other tenure type 178 1.4 168 1.4 1,888 0.7
Tenure type not stated 630 4.9 800 6.7 10,182 3.9

In Northern Territory, of dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, 5.7% were owned outright, 15.9% were owned with a mortgage and 72.1% were rented.

View the data quality statement for Tenure type (TEND)

Small random adjustments have been made to all cell values to protect the confidentiality of data. These adjustments may cause the sum of rows or columns to differ by small amounts from the table totals. For further information, go to the User Guide for QuickStats.

Data reported for Australia and Other Territories now includes Norfolk Island, following an amendment to the Acts Interpretation Act, 1901. Because Norfolk Island has not previously been included in the Census, any 2011 benchmarks will not include Norfolk Island.