Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians

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Contains 2016 Census-based final estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Australians for various geographies

Reference period
June 2016
Released
31/08/2018

Key statistics

  • There were 798,400 Indigenous people in Australia in 2016. 
  • Three quarters of Indigenous population lived in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia combined. 
  • Median age of Indigenous population 20.3 years, non-Indigenous population 37.8 years.
  • The Indigenous population increased by 19% during 2011-2016. 

Main features

Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians

This publication presents the final population estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians as at 30 June 2016 for various geographies, replacing the national, state and territory preliminary estimates released on 27 September 2017 in Australian Demographic Statistics, March Quarter 2017. Estimates are disaggregated by age (5-year age groups, with some single year of age data available) and sex for state and territory, Remoteness Areas and Indigenous Regions. Only total person estimates for Statistical Areas Level 2 are available. 

The final estimated resident Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of Australia as at 30 June 2016 was 798,400 people, or 3.3% of the total Australian population. This population estimate represents a 19% increase in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population estimates from the estimate of 669,900 for 30 June 2011. The size of this increase cannot be explained by demographic factors alone and will be explored in the upcoming publication Census of Population and Housing: Understanding the Increase in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Counts Between 2011 and 2016 to be released October, 2018.

​​​​​​​Indigenous status (individual categories)

Among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in 2016, 91% of people (727,500 people) identified as being of Aboriginal origin only, 5% (38,700) were of Torres Strait Islander origin only, and 4% (32,200) were of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin.

Estimated resident population, Indigenous status, 30 June 2016

 Aboriginal onlyTorres Strait Islander onlyBoth Aboriginal and Torres Strait IslanderTotal Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait IslanderNon-IndigenousTotal
 no.no.no.no.no.no.
NSW

254,842

5,888

4,955

265,685

7,467,173

7,732,858

Vic.

54,044

2,350

1,373

57,767

6,115,405

6,173,172

Qld

176,910

24,873

19,493

221,276

4,623,876

4,845,152

SA

40,393

1,115

757

42,265

1,670,578

1,712,843

WA

96,497

1,882

2,133

100,512

2,455,466

2,555,978

Tas.

26,152

1,322

1,063

28,537

488,977

517,514

NT

71,288

1,020

2,238

74,546

171,132

245,678

ACT

7,113

196

204

7,513

395,591

403,104

Aust.(a)

727,485

38,660

32,220

798,365

23,392,542

24,190,907

  1. Includes Other Territories.
     

Age structure

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population at 30 June 2016 had a younger age structure than the non-Indigenous population, with larger proportions of young people and smaller proportions of older people.This is reflective of higher fertility rates as well as higher mortality rates than the non-Indigenous population. The median age of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population at 30 June 2016 was 23.0 years, compared to 37.8 years for the non-Indigenous population.

States and territories

Of the states and territories, the largest populations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians lived in New South Wales (265,700 people) and Queensland (221,400 people). The smallest population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians lived in the Australian Capital Territory (7,500 people). In 2016, about three quarters of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population lived in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia combined.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians comprised 30% of the population of the Northern Territory, the highest proportion of any state or territory.

Estimated resident population, Indigenous status, 30 June 2016

 Estimated resident populationMedian age
 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait IslanderNon-IndigenousAboriginal and/or Torres Strait IslanderNon-Indigenous
 no.%no.%yearsyears

Males

NSW

132,708

3.5

3,701,099

96.5

21.8

37.3

Vic.

28,805

0.9

3,022,251

99.1

22.4

36.2

Qld

109,991

4.6

2,293,182

95.4

21.4

37.1

SA

20,927

2.5

825,950

97.5

22.1

39.3

WA

50,217

3.9

1,231,751

96.1

23.3

36.3

Tas.

14,164

5.5

242,049

94.5

22.2

42.0

NT

37,668

29.5

90,008

70.5

25.2

35.4

ACT

3,802

1.9

195,978

98.1

22.7

34.5

Aust.(a)

398,413

3.3

11,604,626

96.7

22.3

37.0

Females

NSW

132,977

3.4

3,766,074

96.6

23.4

39.1

Vic.

28,962

0.9

3,093,154

99.1

23.2

38.1

Qld

111,285

4.6

2,330,694

95.4

22.7

38.6

SA

21,338

2.5

844,628

97.5

23.4

41.4

WA

50,295

3.9

1,223,715

96.1

24.3

37.6

Tas.

14,373

5.5

246,928

94.5

24.5

44.1

NT

36,878

31.3

81,124

68.7

27.0

34.4

ACT

3,711

1.8

199,613

98.2

24.4

35.9

Aust.(a)

399,952

3.3

11,787,916

96.7

23.7

38.7

Persons

NSW

265,685

3.4

7,467,173

96.6

22.6

38.2

Vic.

57,767

0.9

6,115,405

99.1

22.8

37.1

Qld

221,276

4.6

4,623,876

95.4

22.0

37.9

SA

42,265

2.5

1,670,578

97.5

22.8

40.3

WA

100,512

3.9

2,455,466

96.1

23.8

36.9

Tas.

28,537

5.5

488,977

94.5

23.3

43.1

NT

74,546

30.3

171,132

69.7

26.0

34.9

ACT

7,513

1.9

395,591

98.1

23.5

35.1

Aust.(a)

798,365

3.3

23,392,542

96.7

23.0

37.8

  1. Includes Other Territories.
     

Remoteness Areas

At 30 June 2016, over one-third of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people lived in major cities of Australia (298,400 people), compared with around three-quarters of the non-Indigenous population (17,013,400). A further 189,400 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (24%) and 4,153,900 non-Indigenous people (18%) lived in inner regional Australia.

There were 161,800 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (20%) who lived in outer regional Australia compared with 1,879,100 non-Indigenous people (8.0%). The 53,500 remaining Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (7%) lived in remote Australia and very remote Australia (95,200 or 12.0%), while 239,900 non-Indigenous people (1.0%) lived in remote Australia and 106,300 or 0.5% in very remote Australia.

Estimated resident Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, Remoteness Areas, 30 June 2016

 Aboriginal and Torres Strait IslanderNon-IndigenousTotal
Remoteness Areas%%%
Major cities

37.4

72.7

71.6

Inner regional

23.7

17.8

18.0

Outer regional

20.3

8.0

8.4

Remote

6.7

1.0

1.2

Very remote

11.9

0.5

0.8

Inquiries

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

Data downloads

Estimated resident Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, non-Indigenous and total populations, states and territories – 30 June 2016

Estimated resident Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, non-Indigenous and total populations, Indigenous Regions – 30 June 2016

Estimated resident Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, non-Indigenous and total populations, states and territories, Remoteness Areas – 30 June 2016

Estimated resident Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, non-Indigenous and total populations, Statistical Areas Level 2 – June 2016

Estimated resident population, Indigenous status (individual categories) – 30 June 2016

Estimated resident Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, non-Indigenous and total populations, Remoteness Areas, single year of age – 30 June 2016

Estimated resident Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, non-Indigenous and total populations, states and territories, single year of age – 30 June 2016

Estimated resident Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, non-Indigenous and total populations, Local Government Areas – 30 June 2016

All data cubes

Post release changes

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Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 3238.0.55.001.

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