Data shows Sydney’s Indigenous population growing rapidly

The Harbour City's outer suburbs and the NSW Central Coast are now host to some of the country's largest Indigenous populations.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House can be seen during the official opening night of Vivid Sydney 2019 . Source: AAP

Sydney is one of Australia’s biggest and fastest-growing Indigenous population hubs.

About one in every nine Indigenous Australians lives in the Harbour City, according to data from the 2016 census. 

The largest populations live in the western suburbs and the NSW Central Coast.

Among Sydney’s local council areas, Penrith has the biggest Indigenous population, with 9500 people, or 4.8 per cent of the total identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

According to the census, 15,400 Indigenous people live in the Central Coast Council area, or 4.6 per cent of the total.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders made up 3.3 per cent of Australia’s population in 2016, according to official estimates.

The country’s Indigenous population has also grown faster than the general population over the last decade.

One explanation is higher than average birthrate but the Australian Bureau of Statistics also suggests that there has been an “increased propensity” for parents to identify their children as having Indigenous heritage.