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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework - Summary report

Life expectancy

In 2015–2017, life expectancy at birth was estimated to be 71.6 years for Indigenous males and 75.6 years for Indigenous females. The gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians was estimated to be 8.6 years for males and 7.8 years for females (Table 4.1). These life expectancy estimates for Australia are adjusted for age-specific rates of Indigenous identification (‘age-adjusted’) (ABS 2018b).

Table 4.1: Life expectancy at birth (age-adjusted), by Indigenous status and sex, 2015–2017

 

Years

Indigenous males

71.6

Non-Indigenous males

80.2

Difference in years

8.6

Indigenous females

75.6

Non-Indigenous females

83.4

Difference in years

7.8

Source: Measure 1.19, Table D1.19.1 – Australian Bureau of Statistics 2018.

Life expectancy decreases as remoteness increases for Indigenous Australians, but not for non-Indigenous Australians. Indigenous males and females living in Remote or Very remote areas have a life expectancy 6–7 years lower than those in Major cities (Figure 4.1).

Figure 4.1: Life expectancy at birth, by remoteness areas and sex, 2015–2017

The first column chart shows that for Indigenous Australians, life expectancy at birth decreases with remoteness, from 72 years in Major cities to 66 years in Remote areas for Indigenous males, and from 77 years in Major cities to 70 years in Remote areas for Indigenous females. The second column chart shows that for non-Indigenous Australians, the life expectancy at birth is similar across all remoteness categories, 79 years to 81 years for males, and 83 years to 84 years for females.The first column chart shows that for Indigenous Australians, life expectancy at birth decreases with remoteness, from 72 years in Major cities to 66 years in Remote areas for Indigenous males, and from 77 years in Major cities to 70 years in Remote areas for Indigenous females. The second column chart shows that for non-Indigenous Australians, the life expectancy at birth is similar across all remoteness categories, 79 years to 81 years for males, and 83 years to 84 years for females.

Notes

1. ‘Regional’ includes Inner regional and Outer regional areas, ‘Remote’ includes Remote and Very remote areas.

2. These estimates could not be age-adjusted, and so cannot be compared with estimates for Australia provided in Table 4.1.

Source: Measure 1.19, Table D1.19.3 – Australian Bureau of Statistics 2018.

Socioeconomic disadvantage

Socioeconomic disadvantage refers to the social and economic position of an individual or population group. Measures of socioeconomic disadvantage capture people’s access to material and social resources, and their ability to participate in society, based on factors like occupation, education, income, employment, housing, family characteristics, health, access to transport, or internet connection (ABS 2018c).

Indigenous Australians living in the lowest socioeconomic areas have a life expectancy (not age-adjusted) that is about four years lower than those living in the highest socioeconomic areas (Figure 4.2).

Figure 4.2: Life expectancy at birth, by socioeconomic area and sex, 2015–2017

This column chart shows that Indigenous Australians living in the lowest socioeconomic areas have a life expectancy (not age-adjusted) that is about four years lower than those living in the highest socioeconomic areas: 68 years compared with 72 years for Indigenous males, and 73 years compared with 77 years for Indigenous females.

Note: Socieconomic area is based on the Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSD)

Source: Measure 1.19, Table D1.19.4 – Australian Bureau of Statistics 2018.

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