Torres Strait Islands

Torres Strait Islands has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Torres Strait Islands' population is approximately 4,292 as of November 2025. This represents an increase of 168 people, a 4.1% rise from the 2021 Census figure of 4,124. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population (ERP) of 4,289 in June 2024 and six additional validated addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 8.8 persons per square kilometer. Torres Strait Islands' growth rate of 4.1% since the census is close to the SA4 region's growth rate of 4.5%. Natural growth contributed approximately 96.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 using 2022 data. Future population dynamics anticipate lower quartile growth outside capital cities, with the area expected to increase by 211 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 4.8% over the 17 years based on the latest annual ERP population numbers.

The level of residential development activity in Torres Strait Islands is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Torres Strait Islands experienced very limited development activity, averaging one approval per year between 2015 and 2019. This resulted in minimal dwelling construction over the five-year period. Such low development levels are typical of rural areas where housing needs are modest and construction activity is naturally constrained by local demand and infrastructure capacity.

It should be noted that due to the small number of approvals, individual development projects can significantly impact annual growth and relativity statistics. Torres Strait Islands exhibited significantly less construction activity compared to the rest of Queensland during this period. This level of activity was also notably below national patterns.

Torres Strait Islands has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Area infrastructure performance is significantly influenced by changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 0 such projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include Queensland National Land Transport Network Maintenance, Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan SuperGrid, Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan, and Network Optimisation Program - Rail. Below are those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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Employment conditions in Torres Strait Islands face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Torres Strait Islands had an unemployment rate of 19.1% as of September 2025, with 1,081 residents employed. This rate was 15.0% higher than the Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%.

Workforce participation in Torres Strait Islands was significantly lower at 41.1%, compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Employment was concentrated in public administration & safety, education & training, and health care & social assistance sectors. The area had a particular specialization in public administration & safety, with an employment share 5.9 times the regional level. However, accommodation & food services employed only 2.7% of local workers, below Rest of Qld's 8.3%.

Over the 12 months to September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.3%, and employment declined by 0.4%, leaving unemployment broadly flat. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment rise by 1.7% and the labour force grow by 2.1%. As of 25-Nov-25, Queensland's employment had contracted by 0.01%, with an unemployment rate of 4.2%, closely aligned with the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 projected a growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Torres Strait Islands' employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 5.8% over five years and 12.4% over ten years, though this was a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year 2022, the median income among taxpayers in Torres Strait Islands SA2 was $50,320. The average income stood at $59,982. Both figures were below the national averages of $50,780 and $64,844 respectively for Rest of Qld. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, current estimates suggest median income would be approximately $57,360 and average income around $68,373 as of September 2025. The 2021 Census reported that household, family and personal incomes in Torres Strait Islands fell between the 1st and 2nd percentiles nationally. The earnings profile showed that 31.3% of locals (1,343 people) earned between $800 - 1,499 per week, contrasting with the region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket led at 31.7%. With 40.1% earning under $800 per week, income constraints significantly impacted local spending patterns. Despite modest housing costs allowing for 87.6% of income retention, total disposable income ranked at just the 5th percentile nationally.

Torres Strait Islands is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The dwelling structure in Torres Strait Islands, as assessed at the latest Census held on 9 August 2016, consisted of 95.8% houses and 4.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This is compared to Non-Metro Qld's structure of 82.5% houses and 17.6% other dwellings. The level of home ownership in Torres Strait Islands was at 6.5%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (0.3%) or rented (93.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was recorded as $0, while the median weekly rent figure was $130. In contrast, Non-Metro Qld had average figures of $1,517 for mortgage repayments and $140 for rents. Nationally, Torres Strait Islands' mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Torres Strait Islands features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 78.1% of all households, including 36.4% couples with children, 11.0% couples without children, and 28.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up 21.9%, comprising 21.4% lone person households and 0.8% group households. The median household size is 3.5 people, larger than the Rest of Qld average of 2.9.

Torres Strait Islands faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 4.9%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 3.3%, followed by graduate diplomas (1.3%) and postgraduate qualifications (0.3%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 48.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (6.4%) and certificates (41.7%).

Educational participation is high, with 33.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 21.2% in primary education, 6.7% in secondary education, and 0.4% pursuing tertiary education.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Torres Strait Islands's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Torres Strait Islands exhibit impressive health outcomes, with very low prevalence rates for common health conditions across all age groups. Approximately half (around 2,124 people) of the total population has private health cover, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

Diabetes and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions in the area, affecting 9.3% and 3.8% of residents respectively. A significant majority, 82.0%, report being free from medical ailments, higher than the Rest of Qld's figure of 79.2%. The percentage of seniors aged 65 and over is lower at 9.0% (387 people) compared to Rest of Qld's 11.5%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors align with those of the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Torres Strait Islands was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Torres Strait Islands had a cultural diversity index above average, with 3.5% of its population born overseas and 93.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Torres Strait Islands, accounting for 86.6% of people, compared to 64.7% across Rest of Qld. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were Other (79.3%), Australian Aboriginal (14.8%), and Australian (2.0%).

The representation of Other was substantially higher than the regional average of 28.1%, while Australian Aboriginal and Australian were notably lower than their respective averages of 25.3% and 15.4%. Samoan ethnicity was notably overrepresented in Torres Strait Islands at 0.3%, compared to the regional average of 0.2%.

Torres Strait Islands hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Torres Strait Islands has a median age of 28 years, which is significantly younger than the Rest of Queensland average of 41 years and also lower than the national average of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of Queensland, Torres Strait Islands has a higher percentage of residents aged 5-14 (20.2%) but fewer residents aged 65-74 (6.2%). This concentration of 5-14 year-olds is well above the national average of 12.2%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 45 to 54 age group has increased from 10.1% to 11.8% of the population, while the 35 to 44 cohort has risen from 12.8% to 14.5%. Conversely, the 0 to 4 age group has declined from 10.9% to 8.8%, and the 15 to 24 age group has dropped from 13.6% to 11.9%. Demographic modeling suggests that Torres Strait Islands' age profile will change significantly by 2041, with the strongest projected growth in the 45 to 54 cohort (39%), adding 196 residents to reach 703. However, population declines are projected for the 15 to 24 and 5 to 14 age cohorts.