4704.0 - The Health and Welfare of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, 2008
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 29/04/2008
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SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS
Highest year of school completed The relationship between higher levels of educational attainment and improved overall health status in the Indigenous population has been discussed in Chapter 3 of this report. In 2006, 32% of Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years or over (excluding those still at school) had completed Year 12; an increase from 27% in 2001. While the Year 12 completion rate for all Indigenous Australians increased from 20% to 23% over the five year period, it remained lower than for Torres Strait Islander people. Year 12 completion by Torres Strait Islander people was higher among those living in the Torres Strait Indigenous Region (39%) than for those in other parts of Australia (31%). However, levels of secondary school completion were still lower than those for the non-Indigenous population (49%) in 2006 (table 12.9).
Highest non-school qualification In 2006, there were around 5,000 Torres Strait Islander people aged 25-64 years with a non-school qualification (32% of the Torres Strait Islander population). The following analysis focuses on non-school qualifications of Certificate III or higher. For further explanation of the differences between certificate levels, see Chapter 3. Just over one-quarter (27%) of Torres Strait Islander people aged 25-64 years had attained a Certificate III or higher qualification in 2006, similar to the rate in the overall Indigenous population (25%). These rates were both significantly lower than those for non-Indigenous people (50%). In 2001, 20% of Torres Strait Islander people aged 25-64 years had a Certificate III or higher qualification. Torres Strait Islander people living in the Torres Strait Indigenous Region in 2006 were as likely as those living in other parts of Australia to have completed a non-school qualification of Certificate III or higher (28% and 27% respectively) (table 12.10).
Labour force status Labour force data from the 2006 Census have been used in this report. For further information on the main differences between labour force data from the Census and Indigenous-specific surveys, refer to Chapter 2. Labour force participation by Torres Strait Islander people aged 15-64 years was 59% in 2006, having changed little since 1996 when the rate was 57%. Their participation was greater than the overall Indigenous rate (54%) but lower than the participation rate for non-Indigenous people (75%). Among Torres Strait Islander people aged 15-64 years, the male labour force participation rate was 65% and the female rate was 53% (table 12.11). Torres Strait Islander people aged 15-64 years had a lower unemployment rate (12%) than did all Indigenous people in this age group (16%) in 2006. The corresponding unemployment rate for non-Indigenous Australians was 5%. The Torres Strait Islander unemployment rate of 12% had decreased from 19% in 1996, consistent with the general decline in unemployment Australia-wide. The unemployment rate was 5% for Torres Strait Islander people living in the Torres Strait Indigenous Region in 2006, compared with 14% for those living in other areas. While full-time employment was reported at similar rates for all Torres Strait Islander people aged 15-64 years, part-time employment was almost twice as common for those living in the Torres Strait Indigenous Region than in other parts of Australia (29% compared with 15%).
The comparatively low unemployment rate and greater share of part-time work among Torres Strait Islander people in the Torres Strait Indigenous Region is largely the result of higher participation in the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) programme. Results from the 2004-05 NATSIHS show that CDEP work comprised 56% of all employment for Torres Strait Islander people aged 15-64 years in the Torres Strait Indigenous Region, whereas 91% of employed Torres Strait Islander people living in other parts of Australia were in mainstream jobs. For further information on the CDEP programme, refer to the Glossary. Income In comparing the relative economic wellbeing of households of different size and composition, the actual incomes of households are adjusted using an equivalence scale to produce the equivalised gross weekly income of each person in that household. For further explanation of equivalised gross household income, see the Glossary. In 2006, the median equivalised gross household income for Torres Strait Islander people was $388 per week. This was higher than that for all Indigenous people ($362 per week), and was equal to 60% of the median equivalised household income for non-Indigenous people ($642 per week). Torres Strait Islander people who lived in the Torres Strait Indigenous Region had a lower median equivalised household income than those in other parts of Australia ($354 compared with $400). Torres Strait Islander median equivalised incomes were lower for women than for men ($379 compared with $399), and this was also reflected in both the Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. Low resource households People with equivalised gross weekly household incomes in the lowest quintile (i.e. less than $315 per week) who were living in a dwelling that was not owned (with or without a mortgage) by a household member, and in which no household member was the owner/manager of an unincorporated business, were considered to be living in low resource households. For further information on income quintiles and low resource households, refer to the Glossary. In 2006, 32% of Torres Strait Islander people, 39% of Indigenous people overall, and 8% of non-Indigenous people were living in low resource households. Torres Strait Islander people in the Torres Strait Indigenous Region were more likely to be living in low resource households (39%) than those living in other parts of Australia (31%) (table 12.12).
Housing Torres Strait Islander people were more likely to be living in a rented dwelling in 2006 than in a dwelling that was owned (with or without a mortgage) by a household member (65% compared with 28%). While the same proportion of Indigenous people overall (65%) were renting, around one-quarter of non-Indigenous people (24%) were living in rented housing. In 2006, one in ten Torres Strait Islander people (10%) lived in a dwelling that was fully owned, and almost one in five (18%) lived in a dwelling that was being purchased. Similarly, 8% of Indigenous people lived in fully owned dwellings and 20% lived in dwellings that were being purchased. Around one-third of non-Indigenous people (30%) were living in fully owned dwellings and 42% were in dwellings that were being purchased (table 12.13). There was no significant change in the proportion of Torres Strait Islander people living in homes which were owned (with or without a mortgage) between 1996 (29%) and 2006 (28%). Rates of housing rental among Torres Strait Islander people also changed little (from 60% to 65%) over this period. In the Torres Strait Indigenous Region in 2006, 88% of Torres Strait Islander people were living in rented housing compared with 61% of Torres Strait Islander people living in other parts of the country. A much smaller proportion of Torres Strait Islander people in the Torres Strait Indigenous Region (7%) were living in a dwelling that was owned (with or without a mortgage), compared with 31% of Torres Strait Islander people living in other areas. Housing tenure among Torres Strait Islander people in the Torres Strait Indigenous Region mirrored that of Indigenous people in other very remote parts of Australia, where 84% lived in rented dwellings and 4% lived in a home that was owned (with or without a mortgage). In the Torres Strait Indigenous Region, 40% of Torres Strait Islander people were living in housing provided by Indigenous Housing Organisations (IHOs), other housing co-operatives, or church or community groups, compared with 8% of Torres Strait Islander people living elsewhere in Australia.
The 2006 Community Housing and Infrastructure Needs Survey collected information about the state of repair of dwellings owned or managed by IHOs. While dwellings in the Torres Strait Indigenous Region were less likely than other IHO dwellings to require major repairs (14% compared with 26%), they were equally likely to require replacement (9%).
Internet access In 2006, 35% of Torres Strait Islander people had access to an Internet connection in their home. Internet access was significantly lower in the Torres Strait Indigenous Region, where 84% of people of Torres Strait Islander origin did not have Internet access at home, compared with 54% of those living in other parts of Australia. The situation in the Torres Strait Indigenous Region was similar to very remote areas overall, in which 86% of Indigenous people did not have Internet access at home. More than half (58%) of Indigenous people and 27% of non-Indigenous people were without Internet access at home (table 12.15).
Social and cultural participation The 2002 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) collected information on participation in social activities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural activities. According to the survey, 44% of Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years or over identified with a clan, tribal group or language group. While the proportion was higher for all Indigenous people in this age group (54%), similar proportions of Torres Strait Islander and Indigenous people overall recognised homelands or traditional country (67% and 70%) (ABS & AIHW 2005). In 2002, almost all Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years or over in the Torres Strait Indigenous Region (99%) had attended some kind of cultural event in the previous 12 months. In comparison, 67% of Torres Strait Islander people living in other parts of Australia reported having attended a cultural event in this period. The majority of Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years or over (90%) had been involved in social activities in the previous three months, equal to the level of social participation reported by Indigenous people overall. Torres Strait Islander people were more likely than Indigenous people overall to have been involved in church or religious activities in the last three months (30% compared with 24%). In the 12 months preceding the 2006 Census, 17% of Torres Strait Islander females aged 15 years or over and 14% of Torres Strait Islander males in this age group had undertaken voluntary work. The rates for Indigenous people overall were similar (15% for females and 12% for males). In the non-Indigenous population, corresponding rates were 21% for females and 17% for males. Stressful life circumstances In 2004-05, 73% of Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years or over reported that a stressful life event or circumstance had been a problem for them or someone close to them over the previous 12 months. For further information on the stressors included in the 2004-05 NATSIHS, refer to the Glossary of National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey 2004-05 (ABS 2006c). Most commonly reported stressors among Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years or over in 2004-05 were the death of a family member or friend (40%), household financial stress (39%), overcrowding at home (16%) and inability to find a job (14%). Indigenous adults had similar experiences of life stressors, however Torres Strait Islander people were less likely than Indigenous people overall to report financial stress (39% compared with 51%) and alcohol-related problems (11% compared with 20%). Neighbourhood problems In the 2002 NATSISS, 73% of Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years or over reported the presence of at least one serious problem in their neighbourhood or community. This was comparable to the overall proportion of Indigenous people reporting neighbourhood problems (74%) (ABS & AIHW 2005). The types of problems most commonly reported by Torres Strait Islander people related to theft (42%), alcohol (36%), illegal drugs (35%), vandalism and other damage to property (33%), youth-related problems (32%), and family violence (26%) (ABS & AIHW 2005).
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