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Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Community Insights
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People and communities

798,365 people identified as being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin in 2016 – 3.3% of the total Australian population
91% of Indigenous Australians identified as being of Aboriginal origin, 5% as being of Torres Strait Islander origin, and 4% as being of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin
1 in 10 Indigenous Australians (9.8%) spoke an Indigenous language at home

Overview

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the Indigenous peoples of Australia. They are not a single group – rather, they compromise hundreds of groups, each with its own, distinct language, history and cultural tradition.

This section provides an overview of the Indigenous population in Australia, including population size, geographic distribution, age structure, household size and languages spoken.

You can also find regional statistics in the Regional overview dashboard; search for your community and select the relevant topic.

Key facts
148,700

Indigenous Australians (19%) live in remote areas

34%

of Indigenous Australians were aged under 15

23 years

Median age of the Indigenous population

263,037

Indigenous households

Number of Indigenous Australians, 30 June 2016
Select a state to view more statistics

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