The Indigenous population has a much younger age structure than the non-Indigenous population.
The median age (at 30 June 2006) for the Indigenous population was 21 years, while for the non-Indigenous population it was 37 years.
Children under the age of 15 years comprised 38% of the total Indigenous population, twice that of the non-Indigenous population (19%). People aged 15–24 years comprised 19% of the Indigenous population but only 14% of the non-Indigenous population. However the largest difference in age profile was seen in people aged 65 years and over, which represented only 4% of the Indigenous population, but 13% of the non-Indigenous population.
These differences in age profiles reflect the higher rates of fertility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as well as the lower life expectancy of Indigenous persons.
The Age-Sex pyramid below represents the age structure of the Indigenous and non-Indigenous population. The bars show the total population that fall within each age-sex group.
Estimated Resident Population by age group, by Indigenous status, 2006
Source: Experimental Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, June 2006 (cat. no. 3238.0.55.001).
Further Information: See Experimental Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, June 2006 (cat. no. 3238.0.55.001).
Note: Students can create their own Interactive Age-Sex Population Pyramids by using a template available from the Education Services web pages.
This page last updated 1 April 2010