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Darwin in Australia

Darwin is made up of Darwin (C), Palmerston (C), and Litchfield (M).

Living in Darwin

Darwin Overall Liveability Index
Darwin 2023
53.2
Australia
63.4
Adelaide
67.4
Central NSW
60.5
Central QLD
59.5
Central VIC
67.5
Eastern VIC
63.9
Far North Queensland
60.3
Hobart
58.5
Melbourne
65.5
Northern NSW
58.8
Perth
67.4
Regional NT
53.0
Regional SA
67.7
Regional Tas
60.2
Regional WA
61.7
Rest of QLD
68.7
South East Queensland
63.7
Southern NSW
61.9
Sydney
65.9
The ACT
65.6
Western VIC
66.4
Collected May 2024

Use the values and experiences matrix to understand the relationship between what your residents believe makes somewhere a good place to live and how they experience their local area in that regard. The matrix highlights the attributes that your community believe needs to maintained and improved to advance overall liveability.

Greater Importance & Worse Experiences    Greater Importance & Better Experiences    Less important attributes

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Darwin Overall Liveability Index

Australia Overall Liveability Index

Darwin
Australia
Importance
Experience
Feeling safe
71%
3.6
63%
6.8
Health services
55%
5.2
45%
6.5
Natural environment
53%
8.1
53%
7.9
Good job prospects
46%
6.7
29%
5.9
Affordable decent housing
44%
4.9
52%
4.7
Sense of community
35%
6.0
31%
6.5
Social cohesion
32%
6.2
26%
6.7
Shopping, leisure & dining
25%
5.4
28%
6.5
A lack of road congestion
23%
7.9
22%
5.6
Opportunity for all
23%
6.1
18%
6.3
Making your way
22%
7.3
32%
6.4
Education
21%
5.8
18%
6.7
A prosperous economy
18%
4.8
15%
6.2
Cultural facilities
13%
6.8
16%
6.2
Public transport
11%
4.7
40%
5.6
Sports and recreation
8%
7.4
11%
7.2
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Health and Wellbeing in Darwin

Physical Health
How would you rate your physical health?
Do you think your physical health will get better, worse or stay the same over the next year?
Darwin (n = 229)
6.9
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
7.0
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Darwin (n = 229)
14%
58%
28%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
12%
58%
30%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Mental Health
How would you rate your mental health?
Do you think your mental health will get better, worse or stay the same over the next year?
Darwin (n = 229)
7.2
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
7.2
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Darwin (n = 229)
15%
59%
26%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
10%
65%
25%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Social wellbeing
How would you rate your social wellbeing?
Do you think your social wellbeing will get better, worse or stay the same over the next year?
Darwin (n = 229)
7.0
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
6.9
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Darwin (n = 229)
17%
65%
17%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
9%
68%
23%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Financial circumstances in Darwin

How would you rate your personal financial circumstances?
Do you think your personal financial circumstance will get worse, stay the same or get better over the next year?
Darwin (n = 229)
6.4
Very poor
Excellent
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
6.0
Very poor
Excellent
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Darwin (n = 229)
23%
51%
25%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
21%
51%
28%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
How often, if ever, are you late meeting your financial commitments?
Do you think the economic situation in your local area will get worse, stay the same or get better over the next year?
Darwin (n = 229)
Australia 2024 (n = 4831)
Always late
1%
2%
Often late
3%
5%
Sometimes late
35%
27%
Never late
60%
66%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Darwin (n = 229)
51%
42%
6%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
35%
52%
13%
Get worse
Stay the same
Get better
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Impacts of climate change in Darwin

Which of the following best describes your personal views on climate change?
Darwin (n = 229)
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by human activities
43%
46%
It's happening - caused equally by human activities and natural causes
33%
30%
It's happening - caused entirely or mostly by natural causes
10%
9%
It's happening - not sure what is causing it
6%
6%
I do not believe climate change is happening
8%
9%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Among those that believe in climate change, 59% indicated that their local area is currently feeling the effects of climate change and a further 28% expected their local area to feel the effects within their lifetime. Of those, 5% were very confident that their local area would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 36% somewhat confident. 55% were not confident.

Please select the extent to which climate change is impacting or will impact your local area in your lifetime?
How confident are you that your local area will be able to adapt to the effects of climate change in your lifetime?
Darwin (n = 229)
Australia 2024 (n = 4511)
My local area is feeling the effects of climate change
59%
45%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect it will in my lifetime
28%
40%
My local area is not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect it will in my lifetime
13%
15%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Darwin (n = 229)
Australia 2024 (n = 3806)
Very confident
5%
6%
Somewhat confident
36%
38%
Not very confident
39%
39%
Not at all confident
16%
13%
Don't know
4%
4%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Among the group of residents that felt their local area is currently feeling, or will feel, the effects of climate change in their lifetime, the top local area climate-related events were: Extreme heat (88%), Cyclones (69%) and Storms (51%). The top actions residents felt should be taken to address the effects of climate change in their local area were: Protect and enhance local biodiversity (66%), Educate residents on how to live more sustainably (58%) and Reduce pollution of the environment (57%).

How is your local area currently, or how do you expect it will, feel the effects of climate change in your lifetime?
What do you feel are the best ways to address the effects of climate change in your local area?
Darwin (n = 229)
Australia 2024 (n = 3660)
Extreme heat
88%
75%
Cyclones
69%
12%
Storms
51%
57%
Flooding
43%
55%
Bushfires
38%
51%
Sea level rise
36%
23%
Severe wind
32%
43%
Droughts
19%
42%
Earthquakes
13%
5%
Other
4%
3%
Landslide
1%
6%
Extremely cold temperatures
1%
18%
None of these
0%
0%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Darwin (n = 229)
Australia 2024 (n = 3806)
Protect and enhance local biodiversity
66%
64%
Educate residents on how to live more sustainably
58%
58%
Reduce pollution of the environment
57%
58%
Provide options for recycling waste
56%
53%
Adopt renewable energy sources
55%
55%
Conserve natural resources
54%
54%
Create renewable energy sources
45%
46%
Host renewable energy projects in the local area
44%
41%
More sustainable building and development practices
43%
48%
Reduce carbon emissions in the local area
37%
43%
Encourage residents to buy locally
37%
36%
More sustainable transport options
35%
48%
Other
6%
6%
None of these
2%
2%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Impacts of climate change on residents

Among those that believe in climate change, 44% indicated that they themselves are currently feeling the effects of climate change and a further 40% expected to within their lifetime. Of those, 10% were very confident that they would be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and a further 52% somewhat confident. 35% were not confident.

Please select the extent to which climate change is impacting or will impact you personally in your lifetime?
How confident are you that you personally will be able to adapt to the effects of climate change in your lifetime?
Darwin (n = 229)
Australia 2024 (n = 4511)
I am feeling the effects of climate change
51%
44%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, but expect to in my lifetime
36%
40%
I am not feeling the effects of climate change, and do not expect to in my lifetime
13%
16%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Darwin (n = 229)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
Very confident
10%
10%
Somewhat confident
52%
53%
Not very confident
29%
27%
Not at all confident
7%
6%
Don't know
3%
4%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Among the group of residents that felt they are currently feeling, or will feel, the effects of climate change in their lifetime, the top personal impacts were: Increased household running costs (89%), Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items (64%) and My ability to leave my home due to weather (43%). 48% feel climate change will reduce their quality of life somewhat, and a further 24% feel it will reduce their quality of life a lot.

How are you currently, or how do you expect to, personally feel the effects of climate change in your lifetime?
Which of the following best represents how you believe the effects of climate change will affect your quality of life?
Darwin (n = 229)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
Increased household running costs
89%
81%
Food production, making it harder and more expensive to get food items
64%
63%
My ability to leave my home due to weather
43%
44%
Essential infrastructure vulnerability
40%
39%
Reduced value to your home/property
32%
13%
Challenges getting around
28%
38%
My ability to access nature due to weather
28%
34%
Reduced personal safety or health to myself and/or those around me
28%
27%
Challenges accessing essential services
27%
28%
Loss or damage to your home/property
26%
27%
Transport infrastructure vulnerability
24%
30%
Reduction in air quality
21%
39%
Other
4%
3%
None of these
1%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower
Darwin (n = 229)
Australia 2024 (n = 3728)
It will improve a lot
2%
2%
It will improve somewhat
6%
7%
It will not change
14%
14%
It will reduce somewhat
48%
49%
It will reduce a lot
24%
22%
Don't know
5%
6%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower

Concerns & ideas in Darwin

What are the top three issues facing your local area?
Darwin (n = 229)
Australia 2024 (n = 5064)
Law & order
74%
26%
Inflation/Cost of Living
42%
59%
Drug/Alcohol Abuse
34%
15%
Issues Facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
33%
5%
Housing/Price of Housing
19%
54%
Healthcare/Hospitals
17%
19%
Race Relations/Racism
12%
3%
Poverty/Inequality
12%
11%
The Economy
11%
13%
Petrol Prices/Fuel
11%
21%
Household Debt/Personal Debt
9%
14%
Environmental Concerns
6%
7%
Unemployment
5%
9%
Education
3%
3%
Immigration
3%
5%
Transport
3%
18%
Taxation
2%
5%
Population/Overpopulation
2%
13%
Defence
0%
1%
Significantly higher
Significantly lower