Northern Territory also known as NT has the smallest population in Australia. The state’s capital city is Darwin. Darwin has an estimated population of over 120,000 people. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders account for 26.8 percent of the Northern Territory’s population. The Northern Territory has a total area of 1,349,129 km² which accounts for around 17.5 percent of Australia’s total land mass. The ‘Top End’ of the Northern Territory has a coastline that extends more than 13,500 km.
Based on our research, Northern Territory population will reach 255,407 by the end of June of 2024. We use end of June each year due to ABS always follow Australia financial year when pushed the data. The calculation is based on the average growth rate of 0.79% over last 11 years since 2011. We believe using the recent years’ figures (see the table in next section) will make the estimation more accurate.
Population Growth of Northern Territory
Looking back last eleven years of Northern Territory’s population, the growth rate is fairly low ranging from 0.20% to 2.56%, adding around 500 to 6,000 people each year to the overall population. NT population recorded negative growth last two years. Of all the states, average growth rate is lowest in Australia.
Year | Population | Growth Rate |
2011 | 231,300 | n/a |
2012 | 234,800 | 1.51% |
2013 | 240,800 | 2.56% |
2014 | 245,100 | 1.79% |
2015 | 244,300 | -0.33% |
2016 | 244,000 | -0.12% |
2017 | 244,500 | 0.20% |
2018 | 245,786 | 0.53% |
2019 | 247,940 | 0.88% |
2020 | 249,220 | 0.52% |
2021 | 250,730 | 0.61% |
2022 | 252,030 | 0.52% |
2023 | 253,460 | 0.57% |
Demography of Northern Territory
According to Australia census, 51.7 percent of people in the Northern Territory are male and 48.3 percent are female. The top five ancestries for people in the Northern Territory are: Australian, English, Australian Aboriginal, Irish and Scottish. The top five languages (other than English) spoken in the Northern Territory are: Kriol, Djambarrpuyngu, Greek, Warlpiri and Murrinh Patha. The top six countries of birth for people in the Northern Territory are: Australia, England, New Zealand, Philippines, India and the United States of America.
The religious makeup of Northern Territory is 23.9% No religion, 21.6% Catholic, 14.6% Religious affiliation not stated, 11.4% Anglican, 6.9% Uniting Church, 3.7% Lutheran, 2.7% Baptist, 2.4% Christian, 1.8% Eastern Orthodox, 1.7% Buddhism.
Population Density of Northern Territory
Northern Territory population density is 0.16 people per kilometer, which is ranking the least populated state in Australia. NT’s population density is only a fraction of population density of Australian Capital Territory in Australia. It is definitely one of the least populated states in the world.
Position | State | Population Density |
1 | Australian Capital Territory | 151.49 |
2 | Victoria | 23.54 |
3 | New South Wales | 8.64 |
4 | Tasmania | 7.24 |
5 | Queensland | 2.50 |
6 | South Australia | 1.62 |
7 | Western Australia | 0.89 |
8 | Northern Territory | 0.16 |
Occupations and Industries
The main occupations of people living in Northern Territory are: 19.9% Professionals, 15.1% Technicians & trades workers, 14.7% Clerical & administrative workers, 13.4% Community & personal service workers, 12.0% Managers, 9.6% Labourers, 6.8% Sales workers, 6.1% Machinery operators & drivers, 2.4% Occupation inadequately described/ Not stated.
The main industries people from Northern Territory work in are: 20.9% Public administration and safety, 10.0% Health care and social assistance, 8.9% Education and training, 8.2% Construction, 8.1% Retail trade, 6.2% Accommodation and food services, 4.9% Professional, scientific and technical services, 4.8% Other services, 4.7% Transport, postal and warehousing.
Facts About Northern Territory
- The Northern Territory’s Finke River is the oldest river system in the world, with parts possibly dating as far back as 340 million years.
- About three fourths of the population lives in the Darwin and Alice Springs metropolitan areas.
- Northern Territory’s first settlement was established at Port Essington in 1824 in an attempt to forestall French colonization.
- There is very little farming in the territory. Peanuts, pearl shell, and trepan are the principal exports.
- Northern Territory was part of New South Wales from 1825 to 1863 and of South Australia from 1863 to 1911.
- National Geographic Travel named the Northern Territory in their top 20 Best of the World list for 2014.
- The Arrernte Aboriginal people are the Traditional Owners of Alice Springs.
- Alice Springs is said to have the highest number of art galleries and centres per capita than any region in Australia.
References
The following links provide data for this topic:
- Australian Bureau of Statistics: www.abs.gov.au
- Northern Territory Government: www.nt.gov.au
- Northern Territory Tourism Central: www.nttc.com.au