Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who managed their own business in 2021

The largest number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who managed their own business in 2021 were in New South Wales (7,153) and Queensland (5,057). 

These states also had the largest number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over in 2021 (185,479 in New South Wales and 157,131 in Queensland).

In 2021, of all employed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over, those who managed their own business made up a small proportion (6.9%).  

In Tasmania (8.7%), Victoria (8.5%) and New South Wales (7.6%) the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who managed their own business was slightly higher than the national rate (6.9%).

Half (49.8%) of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who managed their own business were aged 35-54 years. A further 27.2% were aged 15-34 years and 22.9% were aged 55 years and over. The median age was 44 years.

The median age was similar for males (44 years) and females (43 years). 

In the Northern Territory, the median age of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who managed their own business was older than the national median (47 years).

The employed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population aged 15 years and over who did not manage a business had a median age of 33 years. 

Nationally, and in every state and territory, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who managed their own business were more likely to be male (63.9%) than female (36.1%).

The top 5 industries for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who managed their own business were:

1. Construction (4,622 people)
2. Other services (1,671 people)
3. Health care and social assistance (1,588 people)
4. Administrative and support services (1,447 people)
5. Professional, scientific and technical services (1,336 people).

More than one-half (61.1%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who managed their own business had nil employees. A further 34.0% had 1-19 employees and a small proportion (4.1%) had 20 or more employees.

Just over one-half (54.5%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who managed their own business worked full-time and a further 36.2% worked part time. Females were nearly twice as likely than males to work part-time (50.3% compared with 28.2%).

The median number of hours worked was 38 and was higher for males (40 hours) than females (26 hours). 

One in six (17.5%) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who managed their own business had a personal weekly income of $2,000 or more.

The median personal weekly income was $1,108 and was higher for males ($1,227) than females ($866).

The most common highest level of educational attainment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who managed their own business was Certificate III and IV level (39.4%). This was followed by secondary education – Year 10 and above (24.9%) and university level qualifications (14.8%).

Nearly half of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who managed their own business (45.4%) spent time caring for a child or children aged under 15 years without pay. 

One in six (17.8%) provided unpaid assistance to a person with a disability, health condition, or due to old age.

The information in this article is a count of people, not businesses. It was extracted from the 2021 Census of Population and Housing using the variable ‘Status in employment (SIEMP)’ which is applicable to employed persons aged 15 years and over. 

SIEMP defines a person’s employment status for the main job held in the week prior to Census night. This information does not capture people who may be an owner manager of an incorporated or unincorporated enterprise in addition to their main job. 

In this article, ‘owner manager’ includes:

• Owner manager of incorporated enterprise with employees
• Owner manager of incorporated enterprise without employees
• Owner manager of incorporated enterprise - employees not stated
• Owner manager of unincorporated enterprise with employees
• Owner manager of unincorporated enterprise without employees
• Owner manager of unincorporated enterprise - employees not stated.

The item non-response rate for SIEMP for employed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over in 2021 was 0.9% or 2,339 people. This means there were 2,339 people whose status in employment was unable to be determined.

Other variables used in this article include:

• Indigenous status 
• Labour force status (LFSP)
• Age (AGEP)
• Sex (SEXP)
• Industry of employment (INDP)Total personal income (weekly) (INCP) 
• Level of highest educational attainment (HEAP) 
• Unpaid child care (CHCAREP)
• Unpaid assistance to a person with a disability, health condition, or due to old age (UNCAREP)

The Australian Bureau of Statistics manages secure integrated data assets including the Business Longitudinal Analysis Data Environment (BLADE) and the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA). BLADE combines business data from various sources to facilitate the analysis of business performance over time. PLIDA combines information on health, education, government payments, income and taxation, employment, and population demographics over time to provide whole-of-life insights. BLADE and PLIDA can be linked through employee-employer relationships and business-owner relationships which enables analysis of outcomes for people who have identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. For example, the Dilin Duwa Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership at the University of Melbourne used the linked BLADE-PLIDA dataset along with data from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business registries integrated to BLADE in a study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses and corporations.

BLADE and PLIDA can be accessed by contacting the ABS Data Services team.