At the 2021 Australian census, 278,043 people in New South Wales were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. New South Wales is Australia’s most populated state, also housing Australia’s largest city, Sydney. By comparison, Australia’s second largest state, Victoria, was home to around 66 thousand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

There are around 800,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, which represents just over three percent of the Australian population. Indigenous people are often referred to as Australia's first people or the traditional custodians of the land in recognition of their ancestors inhabiting Australia more than 60,000 years ago. Australia's Indigenous peoples are represented by two distinct groups. Aboriginal people come from the Australian mainland. Torres Strait Islander people inhabit the group of Islands between the northern tip of Queensland and Papua New Guinea and represent less than 40,000 people.

Closing the gap

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience significantly poorer health and wellbeing outcomes when compared to their non-Indigenous Australian counterparts. The average life expectancy of Indigenous Australians is around eight years shorter than that of the non-Indigenous population. In education, Indigenous Australians are also underrepresented, but attendance rates are improving and in 2019, full-time Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students numbered well over 200,000 people.

The share of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in Australia in 2019 was highest in New South Wales with around 33 percent of the indigenous population in Australia living there. Comparatively, the Australian Capital Territory accounted for only one percent of the country's indigenous population in that year.

This dataset presents the estimates of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, non-Indigenous and total populations of Australia for the year ending at 30 June 2016, based on results of the 2016 Census of Population and Housing. The data is by Local Government Areas (LGA) following the 2016 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS). The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of Australia comprises people who are of Aboriginal origin, Torres Strait Islander origin or both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin. The Commonwealth definition of an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person is: a person of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent who; identifies as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin and who is; accepted as such by the community with which the person associates. This data is Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data (catalogue number: 3238.0.55.001) used with permission from the ABS. For more information please visit the ABS Explanatory Notes. Please note: AURIN has spatially enabled the original data.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resident population in Australia was forecasted to increase to close to 1.1 million by 2031, based on 2016 population estimates. The forecasted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resident population for 2023 was approximately 919 thousand people.

This dataset presents the estimates of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, non-Indigenous and total populations of Australia for the year ending at 30 June 2016, based on results of the 2016 Census of Population and Housing. The data is by Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) regions following the 2016 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS).

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of Australia comprises people who are of Aboriginal origin, Torres Strait Islander origin or both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin. The Commonwealth definition of an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person is:

• a person of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent who;

• identifies as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin and who is;

• accepted as such by the community with which the person associates.

This data is Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data (catalogue number: 3238.0.55.001) used with permission from the ABS.

For more information please visit the ABS Explanatory Notes.

Please note:

• AURIN has spatially enabled the original data.

• Where data was not published, "np" in the original data, the records have been set to null

In 2021, the proportion of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people living in major cities in Australia amounted to 41.1 percent of the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander population. By comparison, 73.7 percent of the non-Indigenous population lived in major cities. Although the majority of the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander population lived in major cities and inner regional areas, almost one in ten lived in very remote communities.

The number of Aboriginal people and their proportion of the total Aboriginal population for 5 year age groups to 65+, 2015. Aboriginal as used in this workbook refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (all entries that were classified as not shown, not published or not applicable were assigned a null value; no data was provided for Maralinga Tjarutja LGA, in South Australia). The data is by LGA 2015 profile (based on the LGA 2011 geographic boundaries). For more information on Indigenous population estimates refer to: http://phidu.torrens.edu.au/. Source: Compiled by PHIDU based on data developed by Prometheus Information Pty Ltd, under a contract with the Australian Government Department of Health.

Canada's most populous province, Ontario, had 188 315 Aboriginal people in 2001, the highest absolute number. However, they accounted for less than 2% of its total population. Second was British Columbia with 170 025, or 4.4% of its population. As in previous censuses, the highest concentrations of Aboriginal population in 2001 were in the North and on the Prairies.

This dataset has been developed by the Australian Government as an authoritative source of indigenous location names across Australia. It is sponsored by the Spatial Policy Branch within the Department of Communications and managed solely by the Department of Human Services.

The dataset is designed to support the accurate positioning, consistent reporting, and effective delivery of Australian Government programs and services to indigenous locations.

The dataset contains Preferred and Alternate names for indigenous locations where Australian Government programs and services have been, are being, or may be provided. The Preferred name will always default to a State or Territory jurisdiction's gazetted name so the term 'preferred' does not infer that this is the locally known name for the location. Similarly, locational details are aligned, where possible, with those published in State and Territory registers.

This dataset is NOT a complete listing of all locations at which indigenous people reside. Town and city names are not included in the dataset. The dataset contains names that represent indigenous communities, outstations, defined indigenous areas within a town or city or locations where services have been provided.

Total population of persons identiying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, per SA1.

Population symbolised via 5 quantiles (each quantile contains one fifth of the total number of SA1s, and each quantile is represented by a unique colour).

Sourced from ABS Geopackage: CLDA (Cultural Language and Diversity) - provided via SA1 boundaries.

(c) Commonwealth of Australia, licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia licence. Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data. ABS data used with permission from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (www.abs.gov.au)

(c) Commonwealth of Australia, licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia licence. Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data. ABS data used with permission from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (www.abs.gov.au)

Sources: [17], [18], [22], [36], [42], [43], [44], [45], [46], [47], [48], [49], [50], [51].

In 2021, 24.3 percent of First Nations people aged 20 to 64 living in the Australian Capital Territory of Australia had a Bachelor degree in Australia. The national average for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders was 9.8 percent. Just four percent of First Nations people living in the Northern Territory had a bachelor degree as of 2021.

Indigenous status, area, gender, total, total 0 to 4 years old, 0 years old, 1 year old, 2 years old, 3 years old, 4 years old, total 5 to 9 years old, 5 years old, 6 years old, 7 years old, 8 years old, 9 years old, total 10 to 14 years old, 10 years old, 11 years old, 12 years old, 13 years old, 14 years old, total 15 to 19 years old, 15 years old, 16 years old, 17 years old, 18 years old, 19 years old, total 20 to 24 years old, 20 years old, 21 years old, 22 years old, 23 years old, 24 years old, total 25 to 29 years old, 25 years old, 26 years old, 27 years old, 28 years old, 29 years old, total 30 to 34 years old, 30 years old, 31 years old, 32 years old, 33 years old, 34 years old, total 35 to 39 years old, 35 years old, 36 years old, 37 years old, 38 years old, 39 years old, total 40 to 44 years old, 40 years old, 41 years old, 42 years old, 43 years old, 44 years old, total 45 to 49 years old, 45 years old, 46 years old, 47 years old, 48 years old, 49 years old, total 50 to 54 years old, 50 years old, 51 years old, 52 years old, 53 years old, 54 years old, total 55 to 59 years old, 55 years old, 56 years old, 57 years old, 58 years old, 59 years old, total 60 to 64 years old, 60 years old, 61 years old, 62 years old, 63 years old, 64 years old, total 65 to 69 years old, 65 years old, 66 years old, 67 years old, 68 years old, 69 years old, total 70 to 74 years old, 70 years old, 71 years old, 72 years old, 73 years old, 74 years old, total 75 to 79 years old, 75 years old, 76 years old, 77 years old, 78 years old, 79 years old, total 80 to 84 years old, 80 years old, 81 years old, 82 years old, 83 years old, 84 years old, total 85 to 89 years old, 85 years old, 86 years old, 87 years old, 88 years old, 89 years old, total 90 to 94 years old, 90 years old, 91 years old, 92 years old, 93 years old, 94 years old, total 95 to 99 years old, 95 years old, 96 years old, 97 years old, 98 years old, 99 years old, 100 years old and over

BackgroundThe Indigenous population of Australia suffers considerable disadvantage across a wide range of socio-economic indicators, and is therefore the focus of many policy initiatives attempting to ‘close the gap’ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Unfortunately, past population estimates have proved unreliable as denominators for these indicators. The aim of the paper is to contribute more robust estimates for the Northern Territory Indigenous population for the period 1966–2011, and hence estimate one of the most important of socio-economic indicators, life expectancy at birth.MethodA consistent time series of population estimates from 1966 to 2011, based off the more reliable 2011 official population estimates, was created by a mix of reverse and forward cohort survival. Adjustments were made to ensure sensible sex ratios and consistency with recent birth registrations. Standard life table methods were employed to estimate life expectancy. Drawing on an approach from probabilistic forecasting, confidence intervals surrounding population numbers and life expectancies were estimated.ResultsThe Northern Territory Indigenous population in 1966 numbered between 23,800 and 26,100, compared to between 66,100 and 73,200 in 2011. In 1966–71 Indigenous life expectancy at birth lay between 49.1 and 56.9 years for males and between 49.7 and 57.9 years for females, whilst by 2006–11 it had increased to between 60.5 and 66.2 years for males and between 65.4 and 70.8 for females. Over the last 40 years the gap with all-Australian life expectancy has not narrowed, fluctuating at about 17 years for both males and females. Whilst considerable progress has been made in closing the gap in under-five mortality, at most other ages the mortality rate differential has increased.ConclusionsA huge public health challenge remains. Efforts need to be redoubled to reduce the large gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

In 2001, 976305 people in Canada identified themselves as Aboriginal (North American Indian, Métis, Inuit or people who otherwise indicated they are Registered or Treaty Indians and/or are members of a Band or First Nation). They accounted for 3.3% of the nation’s total population, compared with 2.8% in 1996. Nearly half of the Aboriginal population (49%) lived in urban areas in 2001, while 31% lived on Indian Reserves or in Indian Settlements, and 20% lived in rural, non-reserve areas. Most of the Indian Reserves are located in the areas of Canada covered by the numbered and other treaties from pre-Confederation to 1923. A separate inset map shows the areas covered by Historical Indian Treaties.

This dataset presents information from G07 – Indigenous status by age by sex in Australia based on the general community profile from the 2021 Census. It contains characteristics of persons, families, and dwellings by Local Government Areas (LGA), 2021, from the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3.

This dataset is part of a set of web services based on the 2021 Census. It can be used as a tool for researching, planning, and analysis. The data is based on place of usual residence (that is, where people usually live, rather than where they were counted on Census night), unless otherwise stated.

Small random adjustments have been made to all cell values to protect the confidentiality of respondents. These adjustments may cause the sum of rows or columns to differ by small amounts from table totals. For further information see the 2021 Census Privacy Statement, Confidentiality, and Introduced random error/perturbation.

Made possible by the Digital Atlas of Australia The Digital Atlas of Australia is an Australian Government initiative being led by Geoscience Australia. It will bring together trusted datasets from across government in an interactive, secure, and easy-to-use geospatial platform. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is working in partnership with Geoscience Australia to establish a set of web services to make ABS data available in the Digital Atlas.

Contact the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) If you have questions, feedback or would like to receive updates about this web service, please email geography@abs.gov.au. For information about how the ABS manages any personal information you provide view the ABS privacy policy.

Data and geography references Source data publication: G07 – Indigenous status by age by sex Geographic boundary information: Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3 Further information: About the Census, 2021 Census product release guide – Community Profiles, Understanding Census geography Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

This dataset, released in June 2019, contains the Aboriginal population as a percentage of the total usual resident population, 2016. The data is by Local Government Area (LGA) 2016 geographic boundaries.

For more information please see the data source notes on the data.

Source: Compiled by PHIDU based on the ABS Census of Population and Housing, August 2016.

AURIN has spatially enabled the original data. Data that was not shown/not applicable/not published/not available for the specific area ('#', '..', '^', 'np, 'n.a.', 'n.y.a.' in original PHIDU data) was removed.It has been replaced by by Blank cells. For other keys and abbreviations refer to PHIDU Keys.

The number of Aboriginal people and their proportion of the total population. The data is estimated resident populations (ERP non-ABS) developed by Prometheus Information, 2015 (all entries that were classified as not shown, not published or not applicable were assigned a null value; no data was provided for Maralinga Tjarutja LGA, in South Australia). The data is by LGA 2015 profile (based on the LGA 2011 geographic boundaries). For more information on Indigenous population estimates refer to: http://phidu.torrens.edu.au/. Source: Compiled by PHIDU based on data developed by Prometheus Information Pty Ltd, under a contract with the Australian Government Department of Health.

This dataset presents data on population and people available from the ABS Data by Region statistics. This release of Data by Region presents various data for 2011-2019 and Census of Population and Housing data for 2011 and 2016 and is based on the Statistical Area 4 (SA4) 2016 boundaries. The dataset includes information in the following specified areas of population and people: Estimated Resident Population, Working Age Population, Median Age, Births and Deaths, Population Density, Internal and Overseas Migration, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Overseas Born Proportion, Religious Affiliation and Speaks language other than English.

Data by Region contains a standard set of data for each region type, depending on the availability of statistics for particular geographies. Data are sourced from a wide variety of collections, both ABS and non-ABS. When analysing these statistics, care needs to be taken as time periods, definitions, methodologies, scope and coverage can differ across collections. Where available, data have been presented as a time series - to enable users to assess changes over time. However, when looked at on a period to period basis, some series may sometimes appear volatile. When analysing the data, users are encouraged to consider the longer term behaviour of the series, where this extra information is available.

For more information please visit the Explanatory Notes.

AURIN has made the following changes to the original data:

• Spatially enabled the original data with the ABS Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) SA4 2016 dataset.

• Some data values in Data by Region have been randomly adjusted or suppressed to avoid the release of confidential details.

• Where data was not available, not available for publication, nil or rounded to zero in the original data, it has been set to null.

• Columns and rows that did not contain any values in the original data have been removed.

The number of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in Australia in 2021 was approximately 813 thousand people. That year, around 86 thousand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who lived in Australia were aged between zero and four years.