” In 2016, there were 649,171 people identified as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin in the Census.

Of these people, 91% (590,056 people) were of Aboriginal origin only, 5% (32,345 people) were of Torres Strait Islander origin only and 4% (26,767 people) identified as being of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin.

See Full ABS Data here

 ” The number of Aboriginal Australians living in NSW and Victoria has doubled since 2001, figures released by the Bureau of Statistics show, far outpacing the growth in the non-Indigenous population of both states.

In NSW, the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders has increased from 120,000 in 2001 to 216,000 in 2016 while in Victoria the numbers have almost doubled from 25,000 to 47,000. ”

See Part 2 below for Article in full Census 2016: Indigenous population in NSW and Victoria doubles

These proportions have changed very little in the last ten year period (see Data Cube 3, Table 3b).

In the Northern Territory, just under 25% of the population identified as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin in the 2016 Census. In all other jurisdictions, 5% or less of the population were of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin. Victoria had the lowest proportion at 0.8% of the state total.

When a response to the Indigenous status question in the Census was not provided, a response of ‘not stated’ is recorded. When these people are excluded from the total population, the proportion of those identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander increases slightly (between 0.1 and 0.3 percentage points) in all states and territories, with the exception of the Northern Territory which increases by 2.8 percentage points (see Data Cube 3, Table 3a).

 

Census Counts(a) by Indigenous status — State/Territory, 2016

	Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander		Non-Indigenous	Not stated	Total	Aboriginal and TSI
State/Territory	Count of Persons	Proportion of Persons (%)	Count of Persons	Count of Persons	Count of Persons	Proportion of Persons (%)
New South Wales	216 176	33.3	6 826 286	437 762	7 480 228	2.9
Victoria	47 788	7.4	5 532 275	346 563	5 926 624	0.8
Queensland	186 482	28.7	4 211 020	305 685	4 703 193	4.0
South Australia	34 184	5.3	1 557 001	85 464	1 676 653	2.0
Western Australia	75 978	11.7	2 237 541	160 891	2 474 410	3.1
Tasmania	23 572	3.6	455 137	31 255	509 965	4.6
Northern Territory	58 248	9.0	147 327	23 257	228 833	25.5
Australian Capital Territory	6 508	1.0	370 748	20 143	397 397	1.6
Total Australia(b)	649 171	100.0	21 341 231	1 411 491	23 401 892	2.8

(a) Usual residence, excludes overseas visitors.
(b) Includes Other Territories, comprising Jervis Bay Territory, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island and Norfolk Island, Migratory-Offshore-Shipping, and No Usual Address.
Note: Please note that there are small random adjustments 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 table totals. For further information see Census of Population and Housing: Census Dictionary, 2016 (cat. no. 2901.0).

CAPITAL CITIES AND REST OF STATE

In the 2016 Census, just over one-third (35%) of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population lived in Capital City areas. States with relatively high proportions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Capital Cities include South Australia (54%) and Victoria (50%). In contrast, 78% of the population who identified as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin in the Northern Territory lived outside the Capital City area. Likewise, in Queensland, 71% of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population lived outside of the Capital City area.

Census Counts(a) by Indigenous Status — Capital City and Rest of State, 2016

	Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander	Non-Indigenous	Not stated	Total	Proportion of Persons
Capital City/Rest of State	Count of Persons	Count of Persons	Count of Persons	Count of Persons	Proportion of Persons (%)
New South Wales (NSW)
Greater Sydney	70 135	4 493 490	260 364	4 823 991	32.4
Rest of State	145 189	2 322 911	175 436	2 643 536	67.2
No Usual Address	839	9 528	1 916	12 288	0.4
Total NSW	216 176	6 826 286	437 762	7 480 228	100
Victoria (Vic)
Greater Melbourne	24 062	4 215 761	245 390	4 485 211	50.4
Rest of State	23 444	1 310 270	100 103	1 433 818	49.1
No Usual Address	279	6 219	1 069	7 565	0.6
Total Vic	47 788	5 532 275	346 563	5 926 624	100
Queensland (Qld)
Greater Brisbane	54 158	2 093 128	123 517	2 270 800	29.0
Rest of State	131 520	2 107 878	180 324	2 419 724	70.5
No Usual Address	799	9 886	1 827	12 510	0.4
Total Qld	186 482	4 211 020	305 685	4 703 193	100
South Australia (SA)
Greater Adelaide	18 403	1 216 624	60 689	1 295 714	53.8
Rest of State	15 530	338 096	24 445	378 074	45.4
No Usual Address	249	2 279	328	2 863	0.7
Total SA	34 184	1 557 001	85 464	1 676 653	100
Western Australia (WA)
Greater Perth	31 214	1 801 031	111 612	1 943 858	41.1
Rest of State	44 169	431 657	48 341	524 167	58.1
No Usual Address	587	4 497	867	5 950	0.8
Total WA	75 978	2 237 541	160 891	2 474 410	100
Tasmania (Tas)
Greater Hobart	8 534	201 462	12 351	222 356	36.2
Rest of State	14 983	252 850	18 791	286 627	63.6
No Usual Address	55	755	104	912	0.2
Total Tas	23 572	455 137	31 255	509 965	100
Northern Territory (NT)
Greater Darwin	11 960	110 004	14 862	136 828	20.5
Rest of Territory	45 590	35 862	7 998	89 443	78.3
No Usual Address	696	1 402	387	2 489	1.2
Total NT	58 248	147 327	23 257	228 833	100
Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
Australian Capital Territory	6 476	370 297	20 084	396 857	99.5
No Usual Address	33	454	62	538	0.5
Total ACT	6 508	370 748	20 143	397 397	100
Total Australia(b)	649 171	21 341 231	1 411 491	23 401 892

(a) Usual residence, excludes overseas visitors.
(b) Includes Other Territories, comprising Jervis Bay Territory, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island and Norfolk Island, and Migratory-Offshore-Shipping, and No Usual Address.
Note: Please note that there are small random adjustments 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 table totals. For further information see Census of Population and Housing: Census Dictionary, 2016 (cat. no. 2901.0).

AGE PROFILE

In the 2016 Census, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population had a younger age distribution than the non-Indigenous population, reflecting higher fertility and lower life expectancy – a trend consistent with 2011 Census results. In 2016, the median age (the age at which half the population is older and half the population is younger) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was 23 years (up from 21 years in 2011), compared with 38 years for non-Indigenous people (up from 37 years in 2011). The Northern Territory had the highest median age for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in both 2011 and 2016 (23 years and 25 years respectively). In 2016, New South Wales and Queensland had the lowest median age (22 years). For 2011 age profiles, see Census of Population and Housing – Counts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2011 (cat. no. 2075.0).

Nationally, just over one-third of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people counted in the 2016 Census were under 15 years of age (34%), while 5% were aged 65 years and over. The age profile of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait population varied only slightly between the states and territories. Queensland had the highest proportion of children aged under 15 years (35%). Tasmania had the highest proportion of older persons aged 65 years and over (6%).

Census Counts(a) — Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by State/Territory and Age, 2016

	Total Persons	Persons aged 0-14 years	Persons aged 15-64 years	Persons aged 65 years and over	Median age
State/Territory	Count of Persons	Proportion of Persons (%)	Proportion of Persons (%)	Proportion of Persons (%)	Years
New South Wales	216 176	34.4	60.3	5.4	22
Victoria	47 788	33.3	61.5	5.3	23
Queensland	186 482	35.4	60.2	4.4	22
South Australia	34 184	33.4	62.0	4.6	23
Western Australia	75 978	33.4	62.4	4.2	23
Tasmania	23 572	33.0	60.8	6.2	24
Northern Territory	58 248	30.0	66.2	3.8	25
Australian Capital Territory	6 508	31.2	65.5	3.1	23
Total Australia(b)	649 171	34.0	61.3	4.8	23

(a) Usual residence, excludes overseas visitors.
(b) Includes Other Territories, comprising Jervis Bay Territory, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island and Norfolk Island, and Migratory-Offshore-Shipping, and No Usual Address.
Note: Please note that there are small random adjustments 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 table totals. For further information see Census of Population and Housing: Census Dictionary, 2016 (cat. no. 2901.0).

Part2 : Census 2016: Indigenous population in NSW and Victoria doubles

The number of Aboriginal Australians living in NSW and Victoria has doubled since 2001, figures released by the Bureau of Statistics show, far outpacing the growth in the non-Indigenous population of both states.

Originally published HERE

In NSW, the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders has increased from 120,000 in 2001 to 216,000 in 2016 while in Victoria the numbers have almost doubled from 25,000 to 47,000.

The Indigenous population is growing – rapidly,” Australian National University associate professor Nicholas Biddle and research fellow Francis Markham told the ANU’s Centre for Economic Policy Research on Friday.

Over the same period the non-indigenous population has grown by between 15 and 20 per cent in NSW and Victoria.

“Apart from the higher fertility rate of Indigenous Australians there is pretty strong evidence for there being a larger number of people who previously weren’t being counted,” said Dr Biddle.

“Part of it is the census getting better at counting the population, and part of it is people being more comfortable identifying themselves to a census collector.”

Nationally, there are now 650,000 Indigenous Australians, according to the updated 2016 Census figures released by the bureau on Thursday, which also show the suburbs with the highest and lowest proportion of Aboriginal residents.

In NSW, the lower North-Shore has just 0.2 per cent of residents identifying as Aboriginal compared to the state average of 1.4 per cent. In Sydney’s east, at 6.6 per cent, La Perouse has the highest rate among Indigenous areas identified in the Sydney city region.

In Victoria, the Melbourne areas of Bayside and Glen Eira have the lowest proportion of Aboriginal residents at 0.2 per cent. The Mornington Peninsula has the Melbourne area’s highest at 1.3 per cent.

While more Aboriginal Australians are moving to urban areas, the majority are staying on city fringes. There are now more than 9000 Indigenous Australians in Blacktown in Sydney’s west and more than 2800 located across Northcote, Preston and Whittlesea in Melbourne.

Dr Biddle said these areas also have high rates of mixed parentage, where Indigenous males and females have a non-indigenous partner causing the rate of the population that identifies as Aboriginal to increase.

“That is kind of what you expect if you have a population that makes up 1 or 2 per cent. The chances of your partner having the same ethnicity as you is relatively low.”

The number of people identifying as Indigenous has significant implications for government policy. The Commonwealth Grants Commission allocates a small share of more than $50 billion in GST revenue to states for Indigenous funding on the basis of the census figures.

Nikita Rotumah and Ben Clark work at one of the few remaining Aboriginal youth outreach centre in the Melbourne city area.

“All the services are under resourced,” said their manager Troy Austin, who has run the Aboriginal Youth Sport and Recreation Co-Operative in Fitzroy for the past three years.

“A lot of the organisations have moved out of the inner city as the community goes out to where housing is more affordable.”

He said while more and more people are identifying as Indigenous that has not translated to greater resources.

“People are becoming more aware of the number of services that you have to have your Aboriginality confirmation for,” he said. “Maybe someone who wasn’t getting services before can now get them.”

“There was a period where it was safer for someone to not poke your head up and say you were Aboriginal, now there is a lot more pride and also a lot more awareness,” he said. “That’s a good thing.”