Data and notes
Data sources
Australian Early Development Census (AEDC)
The AEDC is a national collection of data about children’s development at the time they enter their first year of full-time schooling. Data collection began in 2009 and has been repeated every 3 years since using an Australian version of the Canadian Early Development Instrument. The AEDC can be used as a guide to planning and service provision, highlighting areas working well and areas requiring improvement or development.
AEDC domains
The AEDC uses questions that are linked closely to 5 domains:
|
Domain |
Domain description |
|---|---|
|
Physical health and wellbeing |
Children’s physical readiness for the school day, physical independence and gross and fine motor skills. |
|
Social competence |
Children’s overall social competence, responsibility and respect, approach to learning and readiness to explore new things. |
|
Emotional maturity |
Children’s pro-social and helping behaviours and absence of anxious and fearful behaviour, aggressive behaviour and hyperactivity and inattention. |
|
Language and cognitive skills (school-based) |
Children’s basic literacy, advanced literacy, basic numeracy, and interest in literacy, numeracy and memory. |
|
Communication skills and general knowledge |
Children’s communication skills and general knowledge based on broad developmental competencies and skills measured in the school context. |
Results are reported against 3 development groupings based on percentile cut-offs from the 2009 AEDC results:
- developmentally on track
- developmentally at risk
- developmentally vulnerable.
For more information on the domains and domain characteristics, refer to the fact sheet About the AEDC domains or see the AEDC website.
Census of Population and Housing (Census)
The Census is carried out every 5 years. It includes the standard Indigenous status question, which is asked for each household member. The Census form may be completed by one household member on behalf of others.
The 2016 Census was Australia's 17th national Census of Population and Housing and the first to take a digital-first approach. With more than 95% of Australians participating, the 2016 Census showed a growing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. Indigenous Australians represented 2.8 per cent of the population counted – up from 2.5 per cent in 2011, and 2.3 per cent in 2006.
Following each Census, population projections for years after the Census and back cast population estimates for the years before the Census are prepared based on the new information and a set of assumptions about mortality, fertility and migration. Three series of projections are produced representing combinations of assumptions resulting in high, medium and low population growth.
Further information about the nature of the Census is available at Census of Population and Housing: Nature and Content, Australia, 2016. More information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population estimates from the 2016 Census is available at Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS)
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS) 2018–19 is the largest health survey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) between July 2018 and April 2019. This survey collected information about a range of topics including long-term health conditions, disability, lifestyle factors, physical harm and use of health services. It collected information from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of all ages in non-remote and remote areas of Australia, including discrete Indigenous communities.
The NATSIHS included a sample of just over 10,500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from about 6,500 private dwellings. Physical measurements of height, weight and waist circumference were collected from respondents aged two years and over, except women who advised that they were pregnant, and was a voluntary component of the survey. Voluntary blood pressure measurements were also collected from respondents aged 18 years and over.
Selected non-Indigenous comparisons are available from the 2017–18 National Health Survey (NHS). Time series comparisons for some indicators are available from the 2014–15 NATSISS, 2012–13 AATSIHS, 2008 NATISS, 2004–05 NATSIHS, 2002 NATSISS, 2001 NHS and the 1994 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey (NATSIS).
Further information is available at National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey.
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS)
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) 2014–15 is the fourth social survey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples conducted by the ABS from September 2014 to June 2015. Information was collected by personal interview from approximately 11,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in private dwellings in both non-remote and remote parts of Australia about a range of demographic, social, environmental and economic characteristics.
Where possible, the ABS provided recommendations for non-Indigenous data comparisons (such as the 2011–13 Australian Health Survey and the 2014 General Social Survey) and these have been adopted in this report. Further details are available at NATSISS 2014–15: Appendix 2. Time series comparisons for some indicators are available from the 2018–19 NATSIHS, 2012–13 AATSIHS, 2004–05 NATSIHS, 2002 and 2008 NATSISS and the 1994 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey (NATSIS), although not all data elements align across the 3 surveys.
Further information is available at National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey: User Guide, 2014–15