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Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Community Insights
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Target 16

Target 16: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and languages are strong, supported and flourishing

By 2031, there is a sustained increase in number and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages being spoken.

Description



  • Number of Indigenous languages spoken

  • Number of Indigenous languages spoken at strong level


Data period



  • 2018-19

  • 2014-15

  • 2004-05


Data source


Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) National Indigenous Languages Survey (NILS) via the Productivity Commission website < https://www.pc.gov.au/closing-the-gap-data/dashboard/socioeconomic/outcome-area16 >.


Region types reported



  • Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) 2021 Main Structure regions: States and Territories (2018-19 only), Australia (2004-05, 2014-15, 2018-19).


Suppression rules


Measure based on publicly available data. No further suppression rules applied.


Notes



  • Strong language: the language is used by all age groups, including all children, and people in all age groups are fluent speakers.

  • State and territory is classified according to the ‘geographical location’ of each language, as recorded on the AustLang dataset. (AustLang is a thesaurus of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and peoples, maintained by AIATSIS.) The AustLang dataset records the state and/or territory of a language according to its cultural/historical location (using referenced sources). As the geographic location of some languages covers more than one state and/or territory, the sum of languages across states and territories, is greater than the national total.

  • Each NILS has had slightly different objectives and therefore methodologies have differed. The methodology for future NILS may change, making it difficult to provide time series data.

  • The term ‘languages’ usually refers to distinct systems of communication that are not mutually intelligible. Some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages may be mutually intelligible but speakers prefer to describe them as different languages. For example, Western Desert Language includes Ngaanyatjarra and Pitjantjatjara, which are mutually intelligible, but speakers tend to refer to them as separate languages.

  • Assessing and comparing proficiency of languages across the NILS series is difficult because of the use of different measures of proficiency.

  • It can be difficult to grade the vitality of a language.

  • There are complexities in arriving at precise numbers. NILS respondents self-report, and various respondents for an individual language variety may have differing interpretations of survey questions, or may be considering differing criterion or measures in their response.

  • NILS data may be affected by poor geographical and demographic coverage due to an inability to reach remote and rural areas, and an undercounting of children.

  • NILS3 was conducted in 2018-19. NILS3 only reported on spoken languages. It did not report on signed languages. There are many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sign languages.


Reference material


Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) (2020) Third National Indigenous Languages Survey, AIATSIS website, accessed 22 November 2023.


AIATSIS (2023) AustLang, AIATSIS website, accessed 22 November 2023.


Productivity Commission (PC) (2023), Socioeconomic outcome area 16, Productivity Commission website, accessed 3 October 2023.

Description



  • Proportion of First Nations males who reported using an Indigenous language at home

  • Proportion of First Nations females who reported using an Indigenous language at home

  • Proportion of First Nations peoples who reported using an Indigenous language at home


Data period



  • 2021


Data source


Census of Population and Housing


Region types reported



  • Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) 2021 Main Structure regions: States and Territories, Australia

  • ASGS 2021 Indigenous Regions (IREG).


Suppression rules



  • Data have been suppressed if the denominator for the percentage was less than 100, due to concerns about the reliability of percentages based on small denominators.

  • Data have been suppressed responses to the relevant data item(s) was not stated for >50% of the relevant population, due to relatively high exposure to potential bias.

  • Data have been flagged as interpret with caution if responses to the relevant data item(s) was not stated for 25% –50% of the relevant population, due to relatively high exposure to potential bias.


Notes



  • Data are based on AIHW analysis of ABS microdata.


Reference material


ABS (2022) 2021 Census of Population and Housing [TableBuilder], 26 October 2023.

Description



  • Proportion of First Nations peoples aged 0-14 who reported using an Indigenous language at home

  • Proportion of First Nations peoples aged 15-24 who reported using an Indigenous language at home

  • Proportion of First Nations peoples aged 25-44 who reported using an Indigenous language at home

  • Proportion of First Nations peoples aged 45-64 who reported using an Indigenous language at home

  • Proportion of First Nations peoples aged 65+ who reported using an Indigenous language at home


Data period



  • 2021


Data source


Census of Population and Housing


Region types reported



  • Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) 2021 Main Structure regions: States and Territories, Australia

  • ASGS 2021 Indigenous Regions (IREG).


Suppression rules



  • Data have been suppressed if the denominator for the percentage was less than 100, due to concerns about the reliability of percentages based on small denominators.

  • Data have been suppressed responses to the relevant data item(s) was not stated for >50% of the relevant population, due to relatively high exposure to potential bias.

  • Data have been flagged as interpret with caution if responses to the relevant data item(s) was not stated for 25% –50% of the relevant population, due to relatively high exposure to potential bias.


Notes



  • Data are based on AIHW analysis of ABS microdata.


Reference material


ABS (2022) 2021 Census of Population and Housing [TableBuilder], 26 October 2023.

Description



  • Proportion of First Nations peoples learning an Indigenous language

  • Proportion of First Nations males learning an Indigenous language

  • Proportion of First Nations females learning an Indigenous language


 Data period



  • 2014-15


Data source



  • ABS National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey


Region types reported



  • Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) 2021 Main Structure regions: States and Territories, Australia


Suppression rules



  • Data have been suppressed if the denominator for the percentage was less than 100, due to concerns about the reliability of percentages based on small denominators.

  • Data have been flagged as use with caution if the margin of error was between 10% and 15%.

  • Data have been suppressed if the margin of error was above 15%, or where a margin of error could not be reliably calculated.


Notes



  • Data are based on AIHW analysis of ABS microdata.


Reference material


ABS (2016) National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, 2014-15 [TableBuilder], 26 October 2023.