Where we live
Most Australians live in capital cities. At June 2014, nearly three-quarters of people lived in Major
cities (71%), while 18% lived in Inner regional areas, 9% in Outer regional areas, 1.4% in Remote and
1% in Very remote areas (see Box 1.2.1 for information about the classification of geographical areas
in Australia) (ABS 2015e).
The proportion of people living in Major cities has increased over the past decade. In 2004, 69%
of Australians lived in Major cities, 19% in Inner regional areas, 10% in Outer regional areas, 1.5% in
Remote areas and 1% in Very remote areas (ABS 2015e).
In 2013–14, Major cities was the fastest growing type of Remoteness Area (RA) in Australia, with a
population increase of 1.8% in the year to June 2014. The remaining RAs grew more slowly than
Australia as a whole (1.6%)—Inner regional areas grew by 1.2%, Outer regional areas grew by 0.7%
and Remote areas grew by 0.3%. The population in Very remote areas fell by 0.4% (ABS 2015e).
Australia’s population is largely concentrated in the east and south-east of the country. In 2014,
nearly one-third of people (32%) lived in New South Wales, 25% in Victoria, 20% in Queensland,
11% in Western Australia, 7.2% in South Australia, 2.2% in Tasmania, 1.6% in the Australian Capital
Territory and 1.0% in the Northern Territory (ABS 2015e).
Box 1.2.1: Classification of Remoteness Areas in Australia
The ABS Australian Standard Geographical Standard (ASGS) Remoteness Structure allocates
areas to 1 of 5 remoteness categories depending on their distance from urban centres, where
the population size of the urban centre is considered to govern the range and types of
services available.
The 5 remoteness categories are: Major cities, Inner regional, Outer regional, Remote and
Very remote.
The category Major cities includes Australia’s capital cities, with the exceptions of Hobart and
Darwin, which are classified as Inner regional and Outer regional respectively (ABS 2013b).
More information is available on the ABS website.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up a relatively large proportion of the population
living in remote areas of Australia. The ABS’s 30 June 2011 estimated resident population data
show that almost half (45%) of all people in Very remote areas and 16% in Remote areas were of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin, compared with a 3% Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
representation in the total Australian population (ABS 2013c).
Nevertheless, most Indigenous Australians live in urban rather than remote areas. In 2011, more than
one-third (35%) lived in Major cities, 22% in each of Inner regional and Outer regional areas, and the
remaining 21% in either Remote or Very remote areas (ABS 2013c).