State Economic Profile • Capital: Darwin • 1% of Australian Population
Northern Territory - Economic Statistics
The Northern Territory has the youngest demographic profile in Australia and an economy heavily influenced by major resource engineering projects, defence spending, and public administration.
Headline Northern Territory Indicators
2026 Q1 National series →
Northern Territory Population
268,899 Persons
Northern Territory Unemployment Rate
0.0% %
2026 Q2 National series →
Northern Territory State Final Demand Growth
0.2% % p.a.
2026 Q2 National series →
Northern Territory Mean Dwelling Price
$614.4k A$'000
2026 Q2 National series →
Northern Territory Wage Growth (WPI)
2.8% % p.a.
May 2026 National series →
Northern Territory Average Weekly Earnings (AWOTE)
$1,984 A$ / week
Aug 2026 National series →
Northern Territory Dwelling Approvals
559 Dwellings / yr
Jun 2025 National series →
Northern Territory Annual Retail Turnover
$2,055m A$ million / yr
Northern Territory Historical Trajectories
Northern Territory Population
PersonsNorthern Territory Unemployment Rate
%Northern Territory State Final Demand Growth
% p.a.Northern Territory Mean Dwelling Price
A$'000Northern Territory Wage Growth (WPI)
% p.a.Northern Territory Average Weekly Earnings (AWOTE)
A$ / weekNorthern Territory Annual Economic Data Table (1980–2026)
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ERP_Q, LF, ANA_SFD, RES_DWELL_ST, WPI, AWE)
| Year | Population | Unemployment (%) | State Final Demand (%) | Mean Dwelling ($'000) | Wage Growth (%) | Weekly Earnings ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 268,899 | - | -1.5% | $614.4 | 2.5% | $1,984 |
| 2025 | 267,703 | - | -0.5% | $578.8 | 3.0% | $1,935 |
| 2024 | 263,283 | - | 4.7% | $504.1 | 3.6% | $1,866 |
| 2023 | 259,143 | - | 3.0% | $507.3 | 3.7% | $1,804 |
| 2022 | 255,294 | - | 4.6% | $510.1 | 2.2% | $1,727 |
| 2021 | 250,500 | - | 9.9% | $503.2 | 2.0% | $1,697 |
| 2020 | 247,819 | - | -0.3% | $458.3 | 2.0% | $1,703 |
| 2019 | 246,213 | - | -10.6% | $411.9 | 2.2% | $1,688 |
| 2018 | 245,920 | - | -13.8% | $447.3 | 1.6% | $1,656 |
| 2017 | 246,862 | - | 5.3% | $441.1 | 1.7% | $1,632 |
| 2016 | 246,065 | - | 4.7% | $457.6 | 2.1% | $1,604 |
| 2015 | 244,090 | - | -7.5% | $483.3 | 2.4% | $1,533 |
| 2014 | 242,753 | - | -4.4% | $517.0 | 2.8% | $1,436 |
| 2013 | 242,304 | - | 12.8% | $521.9 | 2.9% | $1,449 |
| 2012 | 238,728 | - | 23.2% | $501.2 | 3.4% | $1,413 |
| 2011 | 232,952 | - | 2.8% | $472.5 | 4.0% | $1,334 |
| 2010 | 230,299 | - | -0.3% | - | 3.5% | $1,247 |
| 2009 | 227,783 | - | -1.2% | - | 4.0% | $1,167 |
| 2008 | 222,526 | - | 10.4% | - | 4.3% | $1,121 |
| 2007 | 216,618 | - | 3.1% | - | 3.8% | $1,061 |
| 2006 | 211,029 | - | 2.5% | - | 3.9% | $1,018 |
| 2005 | 207,385 | - | 9.6% | - | 4.4% | $1,007 |
| 2004 | 203,857 | - | 1.6% | - | 3.4% | $950 |
| 2003 | 201,708 | - | 2.5% | - | 3.1% | $898 |
| 2002 | 201,549 | - | 8.0% | - | 3.1% | $844 |
| 2001 | 201,751 | - | 10.5% | - | 2.9% | $817 |
| 2000 | 200,045 | - | -2.6% | - | 2.5% | $799 |
| 1999 | 197,757 | - | 2.0% | - | 2.8% | $760 |
| 1998 | 194,390 | - | 23.1% | - | 3.0% | $744 |
| 1997 | 191,259 | - | 1.7% | - | - | $705 |
| 1996 | 187,342 | - | 6.8% | - | - | $679 |
| 1995 | 182,829 | - | 8.2% | - | - | $660 |
| 1994 | 176,761 | - | 7.2% | - | - | $650 |
| 1993 | 173,590 | - | 7.5% | - | - | - |
| 1992 | 170,420 | - | 0.7% | - | - | - |
| 1991 | 167,043 | - | -0.4% | - | - | - |
| 1990 | 165,047 | - | 3.1% | - | - | - |
| 1989 | 162,097 | - | 2.7% | - | - | - |
| 1988 | 160,536 | - | 3.4% | - | - | - |
| 1987 | 159,040 | - | -7.0% | - | - | - |
| 1986 | 156,578 | - | -4.1% | - | - | - |
| 1985 | 152,356 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1984 | 145,293 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1983 | 139,519 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1982 | 132,784 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1981 | 127,718 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1980 | 121,686 | - | - | - | - | - |