Aboriginal population in Australia
Almost two thirds of Aboriginal people live in Australia's eastern states. Most of them are young and identify as coming from mainland Australia.
Contrary to what many people think (and to the stereotype of Australian advertising) the majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in Australia's eastern states and not in the remote desert regions of the continent [1].
Proportions
63% of Indigenous people live in NSW, Queensland and Victoria while Western Australia and the Northern Territory contribute only 28% of the Indigenous population.
The population is the lowest in South Australia (5%) and Tasmania (3.3%). The Australian Capital Territory is home to only 0.8% of Australia's Indigenous people.
Indigenous population in Australia in 2006. 57% of Australia's Indigenous people lived in New South Wales
or Queensland. The figures are almost stable since 2001 [1].
The Northern Territory had the largest proportion of its population who were Indigenous (32%), compared with 4% or less for all other states and the Australian Capital Territory.
Age
The 2006 census showed that the Aboriginal population is relatively young. The median age is 20 years, compared with 37 years for non-Aboriginal people [2]. Just 3% of the Aboriginal population are over 65 years old, while 13% of non-Aboriginal Australians are in that age bracket.
Origin
90% of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population identified themselves as Aboriginal people (coming from mainland Australia), 6% as Torres Strait Islanders (far North Queensland) and 4% of both origins [2].
Out of respect for Aboriginal culture I use Indigenous sources as much as possible.
[1] 'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Population', Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2008
[2] 'Census shows more identify as Indigenous', Koori Mail 404 p.7