Alice Springs Region Economic Profile at a Glance

This economic snapshot of Central Australia provides some facts about the region and highlights key aspects of the local economy and how it is changing over time.

Seventeen percent (41 042) of Territorians live in the Central Australia region, an area of almost 570,000 square kilometres. The region includes Alice Springs, the second largest population centre in the Northern Territory and the economic, business and service hub for the region. Residents from remote areas of South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland also access many services from Alice Springs such as health and retail.

The Central Australia region contributes an estimated
18 per cent ($2.9 billion) of the Northern Territory Gross State
Product. Of this, the largest industry sectors are Mining
($552 million), Construction ($313 million) and Health care and
social assistance ($240 million).

At $54 450, the average income in the Central Australia region is lower than the NT average ($59 342). This can largely be attributed to the labour intensive service sectors associated with the accommodation, retail, construction, public administration and health care sectors. The average cost of a basket of goods in Alice Springs is comparable with Darwin, but cheaper than Katherine and Nhulunbuy