Indigenous Health Statistics - Summary*
*Unless otherwise stated, data comes from AMA Report Card 2003, and Ring & Brown 2003 [1].
Chart
[2]
Life Expectancy
Australians in general enjoy the second highest life-expectancy among OECD countries. [3]
The gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is 20 years. This gap increased over the period 1997-2001. [4]
In the USA and New Zealand, the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous is 5–7 years.
About 45% of deaths among Indigenous males, and 34% of deaths among Indigenous females, occur before age 45. [5]
The corresponding proportions for other Australian males and females were 10% and 6%, respectively. [6]
Most Indigenous males (76%) and Indigenous females (65%) die before age 65. [7] The reverse is true for other Australians: most males and females (73% and 84%) live beyond age 65. [8]
Median Age of Death
For Indigenous Australians the median age of death is 53 years, with no improvement over the last decade.
For other Australians this is 77 years, which is a rise of 3 years over the last decade.
The median age of death for Indigenous people in NZ is 59, Canada 65, US 63: all improved over the last 25 years.
Infant Mortality
Indigenous infant mortality rates are 2.5 times that of other Australian infants.
7% of Indigenous deaths are of infants less than one year old, whereas less than 1% of non-Indigenous infants die before age 1.[9]
Infant mortality rates for Indigenous Australians are almost twice as high as those of the NZ and US Indigenous populations.
Death from Preventable Conditions
Diabetes: 8 times higher
Respiratory conditions: 4 times higher
Circulatory conditions: 3 times higher
Chronic Disease [10]
Heart disease: 3 times higher
Respiratory conditions: 9-11 times higher
Kidney disease: 9 times higher
Health Workforce
Estimated at least 59% increase in doctors required, and a 25% increase in nurses.
Low Birth weight
Indigenous babies are twice as likely to have low birth weight with little improvement since 1991.
Ear Infections and Hearing Loss
93% of children in remote communities suffer hearing damage from middle ear infections. [11]
Hospitalisation
Indigenous Australians are twice as likely to be hospitalised than other Australians.
Health Funding
15% real increase in government funding between 1995–96 and 1998–99.
Level of health spending is 22% higher for Indigenous people but the need is 200% greater.
[1] AMA, Public Report Card 2003 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health - Time for Action; Ring & Brown 2002, Indigenous Health: chronically inadequate responses to damning statistics, Medical Journal of Australia 2002;177:629-631. Return to text
[2] ANTaR 2003 (data from UN Human Development Report 2003 & Australian Institute of Health & Welfare). Return to text
[3] Peachey, L G, Medical Journal of Australia 2003 178 (10): 503-504. Return to text
[4] Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2001, (Cat no 4715.0). Return to text
[5] UN Human Development Report 2003. Return to text
[6] Ibid. Return to text
[7] Australian Institute of Health & Welfare 2003. Return to text
[8] UN Human Development Report 2003. Return to text
[9] ABS, Cat 4704, 2003. Return to text
[10] Fred Hollows Foundation Fact Sheet: The Health Emergency, 2004. Return to text
[11] Ibid. Return to text
www.antar.org.au - Australians for Native
Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR)