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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework - Summary report

Life expectancy

In 2020–2022, life expectancy at birth was estimated to be 71.9 years for First Nations males and 75.6 years for First Nations females. The gap between First Nations people and non-Indigenous Australians was estimated to be 8.8 years for males and 8.1 years for females (Table 4.1) (ABS 2023b). 

Table 4.1: Life expectancy at birth (age-adjusted), by Indigenous status and sex, 2020–2022

 

Years

First Nations males

71.9

Non-Indigenous males

80.6

Difference in years

8.8

First Nations females

75.6

Non-Indigenous females

83.8

Difference in years

8.1

Source: Table 1 – Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2023b).

First Nations males and females living in Remote and very remote areas have the lowest life expectancy, while the highest was in Inner and outer regional areas, followed closely by Major cities. First Nations males and females living in Remote and very remote areas have a life expectancy around 5 years lower than those in Major cities, and Inner and outer regional areas. The largest difference in life expectancy between First Nations people and non-Indigenous Australians was in Remote and very remote areas, with a difference of 12.4 years (for both males and females) (Figure 4.1). 

Figure 4.1: Life expectancy at birth (age-adjusted), by remoteness and sex, 2020–2022

The first column chart shows that for First Nations people, life expectancy at birth decreases with remoteness, from 72.5 years in Major cities to 67.3 years in Remote areas for males, and from 76.5 years in Major cities to 71.3 years in Remote areas for females. The second column chart shows that for non-Indigenous Australians, the life expectancy at birth is similar across all remoteness categories, ranging from 79.6 years to 81.0 years for males, and from 83.2 years to 84.0 years for females.

Notes1. ‘Regional’ includes Inner regional and Outer regional areas, ‘Remote’ includes Remote and Very remote areas.
2. Life expectancy estimates are calculated taking age-specific identification rates into account.
Source: Table 3 – Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2023b).

Socioeconomic disadvantage

The Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage (IRSD) used in this section is a general socioeconomic index that summarises a range of information about the economic and social conditions of people and households within an area. A low score indicates relatively greater disadvantage. For example, an area could have a low score if there are: many households with low income, or many people without qualifications, and many people in low skilled occupations. A high score indicates a relative lack of disadvantage. For example, an area may have a high score if there are: few households with low incomes, few people without qualifications, few people in low skilled occupations.

First Nations males living in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged areas have a life expectancy (age-adjusted) that is about 5.1 years lower than those living in the least disadvantaged areas. First Nations females in the most disadvantaged areas had a life expectancy of around 3 years lower than those in the least disadvantaged areas (Figure 4.2).

Figure 4.2: Life expectancy at birth (age-adjusted) for First Nations people, by socioeconomic area and sex, 2020–2022

This column chart shows that First Nations people living in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged areas have a life expectancy lower than those living in the highest socioeconomic areas: 69.5 years compared with 74.6 years for First Nations males, and 74.0 years compared with 77.0 years for First Nations females.

Notes
1. Socieconomic area is based on the Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSD). A low IRSD score indicates relatively greater disadvantage, and a high score indicates a relative lack of disadvantage. Quintile 1 contains the lowest 20% of scores (the most disadvantaged areas), and quintile 5 contains the highest 20% of scores (the least disadvantaged areas).
2. Life expectancy estimates are calculated taking age-specific identification rates into account.
Source: Table 3 – Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2023b).

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