Indigenous Status Comparison: Social Health Atlas of Australia

Education

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were more than twice as likely as non-Indigenous people to have left school at Year 10 or below, or not to have gone to school; and were 21% less likely to be participating full-time in secondary school education at age 16. Enrolments in preschool were, however, higher with an estimated 25.7% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 4 or 5, compared with 18.9% for non-Indigenous children.

Housing

• More Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were living in crowded dwellings compared to non-Indigenous people at the 2021 Census, 17.2% compared to 6.2% respectively. The differential was most evident in Northern Territory (53.7% compared to 8.6%) and Western Australia (19.3% compared to 3.7%).

Unemployment

• In four out of five of the Indigenous Areas across Australia with both population groups, unemployment rates among Indigenous people were at least twice the level of the non-Indigenous population; and were almost seven times higher in the Northern Territory.

Immunisation

• Immunisation rates among Indigenous and non-Indigenous children were relatively consistent; marginally fewer 1 and marginally more5 year old Aboriginal children were immunised; however, relatively fewer 5 year old Aboriginal children were immunised.

Premature mortality

• Premature mortality rates (deaths at ages 0 to 74 years) over the period 2016 to 2020 were almost three times (2.8) times higher among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than non-Indigenous people; and were 83% higher for deaths from cancer, nearly four (3.85) times higher for deaths from circulatory systems diseases, four and a half times higher for deaths from respiratory systems diseases, and 2.6 times higher for deaths from external causes.

Hospital admissions

• Admissions to hospital were 41% higher among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than non-Indigenous people; ranging from 26% higher among people aged 0 to 14 years to 61% at ages 15 to 24 years and 63% at ages 25 to 44 years. However, the reverse was the case for those aged 65 years and over, with 2% fewer admissions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. There was also considerable variation by principal diagnosis, with admissions at least two and half times higher among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than non-Indigenous people for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (5.97 times higher), diabetes (3.67), chronic kidney disease (2.92), heart failure (2.76) and skin and subcutaneous tissue diseases (2.63). The rate for same-day admissions for renal dialysis of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was 12 times that of the non-Indigenous population.

Emergency department presentations

• Emergency department presentation rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were more than double (2.3 times) those for the non-Indigenous population, and almost three (2.8) times for non-urgent presentations. Presentations for mental and behavioural disorders were just over four (4.1) times the non-Indigenous rate, with rates over two and a half time higher for diseases of the digestive system (2.68 times) and diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (2.56 times).

Indigenous Status Comparison, Social Health Atlas of Australia: Maps

Indigenous Areas (IARE) Single map

The IARE Single Map presents all indicators for all areas allowing users to explore and understand patterns and trends for a range of datasets.

Indigenous Areas (IARE) Double map

The IARE Double Map enables users to select two different indicators to compare on two synchronised maps within the same view. The two indicators selected are also presented as a Scatterplot to assess potential correlations.

Indigenous Status Comparison, Social Health Atlas of Australia: Graphs

Indigenous Status Comparison, Social Health Atlas of Australia: Data workbook

Download the Indigenous Status Comparison workbook

Download the Indigenous Status Comparison monitoring inequality workbook

Download the Indigenous Status Comparison Remoteness workbook