Income
Individual income quartiles
About this topic
Individual income quartiles group people aged 15 years and over into four evenly sized income ranges so the distribution of personal income can be compared objectively across areas and over time. The quartile method focuses on relative position in the income distribution rather than raw dollar brackets.
This topic is useful because direct income amounts are affected by inflation and wider economic change. Quartiles provide a clearer way to compare whether an area is becoming relatively lower, middle, or higher income over time.
Interpretation notes
- This is a derived distribution of personal income for people aged 15 years and over, with each quartile representing a quarter of the income distribution.
- Quartiles show relative position rather than fixed dollar brackets, which makes them more robust for comparisons over time.
Key insight
In 2021, the highest income quartile held the largest share among residents aged 15 and over in Christmas Island, accounting for 40%.
Section overview
Individual income quartiles
Christmas Island - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)
This table summarises individual income quartiles for Christmas Island in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Other Territories and change since 2016.
Individual income quartiles snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Christmas Island, with comparison markers for Other Territories.
Lowest group
2021 count
191
% of total
19.1%
Change from 2016
-
191
19.1%
-
Medium lowest
2021 count
148
% of total
14.8%
Change from 2016
-
148
14.8%
-
Medium highest
2021 count
260
% of total
26.0%
Change from 2016
-
260
26.0%
-
Highest group
2021 count
400
% of total
40.0%
Change from 2016
-
400
40.0%
-
Chart view
Individual income quartiles change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Data table
Individual income quartiles for Christmas Island. Individual income quartiles. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Other Territories.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Other Territories% | Count | % | Other Territories% | Count | pp | |
| Lowest group | 191 | 19.1% | 21.1% | - | - | 20.7% | - | - |
| Medium lowest | 148 | 14.8% | 27.4% | - | - | 24.5% | - | - |
| Medium highest | 260 | 26.0% | 27.9% | - | - | 27.0% | - | - |
| Highest group | 400 | 40.0% | 23.6% | - | - | 27.8% | - | - |
| Total persons aged 15+ | 999 | 100.0% | 100.0% | - | - | 100.0% | - | - |