As of June 2021, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in Australia was approximately 984,000 people, representing about 3.8% of the total Australian population
. This population has been growing steadily, with a 25.2% increase in the count between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, partly due to demographic factors like births and partly due to more people identifying as Indigenous
. Projections indicate that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is expected to reach nearly 1.2 million by 2031
. The population is relatively young, with about one-third under 15 years of age and a median age of 24 years
. Geographically, a significant portion lives in major cities (around 38-41%), while 15-18% live in remote and very remote areas, where Indigenous people make up a higher proportion of the local population
. In summary, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population today is just under one million people and is growing, with projections to exceed one million within the next decade.
