The Kimberley in Western Australia
Facts and Numbers

The Kimberley in Western Australia is a very remote region in the far north western corner of the continent. The facts and numbers on this page will show just how remote.

Yes, remote, but luckily not inaccessible...

The Kimberleys have been gaining more and more popularity as a tourist destination in the recent years. It's easy to see why...



Wild, rugged and beautiful, yet so easy to visit, fly to, drive through and enjoy....

Tourism is booming, but read and digest the numbers below and you will understand why tourism hasn't changed the character of the Kimberley yet: even a few hundred thousand visitors are barely noticeable in an area this size...

Kimberley Facts - Size

The Kimberley in Western Australia covers an area of 424,517 km2 (163,907 sq miles)

Here is a size comparison...

  • for Australians - a sixth of all of Western Australia, or twice the size of Victoria
  • for Europeans - three times the size of England, and larger than Germany
  • for Americans - comparable to California
  • for Asians - 15% larger than Japan

And now consider this: there is exactly one sealed road through the Kimberley. One. Imagine there was only one road through Germany or California...

Kimberley Facts - Population

The population of the Kimberley in Western Australia, an area the size of California, is...

...a whopping 35,000 (almost).

At last count in 2016 the population was 34,364. The Kimberley population growth rate is high (2.5%) when compared to Western Australia (1.4%) and projected to increase.

The median age of our population is low, 31.9 years, compared to the Western Australian average of 37.4 years. (2015)

Another comparison: 19.2% of the Kimberley population is of Aboriginal descent. (This is from the 2016 census data, which did not count all residents of Aboriginal descent. Other sources talk of a 44% Aboriginal population.) 
The number for the rest of Western Australia is 3.5%.

Much of the Kimberly population is evenly distributed aross the region. People live and work on cattle stations (ranches), Aboriginal communities, mining camps... 

Only three towns in the Western Australia Kimberly can boast a population of over 2000.

  • Broome: 14,000 (45,000 during the tourist season)
  • Kununurra: 5300 (double and more during tourist season)
  • Derby: 3300

(Another way to put it is that half of all Kimberley towns have a population over 2000. We only have six towns here.)



More Kimberley Facts:


Travelling to the Kimberley?


The FREE Kimberley Pocket Guide
A great introduction to travel in the Kimberley region and along the Gibb. This free resource will answer all the questions you might have in the early stages of planning a trip.


Destination Kimberley
The full Kimberley travel guide shows you how to make the most of your adventure at Australia's last frontier. Destination Kimberley includes the most detailed and most current guide to the Gibb River Road available anywhere. Also called "The Bible" by its readers.


Travelling to the Northern Territory?


Destination Top End offers the same comprehensive, detailed insider information for the tropical regions of the Northern Territory. Be the best informed traveller in the Kakadu, Litchfield and Katherine Gorge national parks and beyond!

A must have if you travel to or from Darwin.


NEW! Destination Red Centre is the latest addition in this popular series. Monica Coleman takes you through Australia's red Outback heart, offering all the detail and insider tips that you have come to know and love about our guides. With special emphasis on Aboriginal communities and culture.

A must have if you travel to or from Alice Springs/Uluru.




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