Indigenous Australian Life Expectancy & Health Inequality
Explore data on the life expectancy gap between First Nations and non-Indigenous Australians, including the impact of remoteness and socioeconomic factors.
Life Expectancy & Health Inequality
Disparities Between First Nations and Non-Indigenous Australians
Data sources: AIHW, 2023; ABS, 2023
The Gap at a Glance
Males
Females
First Nations
Non-Indigenous
71.9
80.6
Gap: 8.8 years
75.6
83.8
Gap: 8.1 years
Data: AIHW, 2023 | 2020–2022 estimates
Note: Estimates may be affected by inconsistencies in Indigenous status recording
Where You Live Shapes How Long You Live
BY STATE
New South Wales
(HIGHEST)
73.8 yrs
77.9 yrs
Northern Territory
(LOWEST)
65.6 yrs
69.4 yrs
BY REMOTENESS
Major Cities
Remote / Very Remote
72.5 yrs
76.5 yrs
67.3 yrs
71.3 yrs
Gap in Remote Areas
Up to 12.4 years vs non-Indigenous
Data: AIHW, 2023; ABS, 2023
Disadvantage Deepens the Divide
SEIFA Disadvantage Index
Least Disadvantaged
Most Disadvantaged
Males Life Expectancy
74.6 yrs
69.5 yrs
Gap vs non-Indigenous: 8.9 yrs
Females Life Expectancy
77.0 yrs
74.0 yrs
Gap vs non-Indigenous: 8.3 yrs
39%
of First Nations peoples live in the most disadvantaged areas
18%
of non-Indigenous Australians live in the most disadvantaged areas
Data: ABS, 2023 | SEIFA IRSD
A Persistent, Structural Inequality
~8–9 year gap in life expectancy persists across sex
AIHW, 2023
Gap widens to 12.4 years in Remote & Very Remote areas
ABS, 2023
Socioeconomic disadvantage compounds the disparity
Zhao et al., 2014
Life expectancy reflects cumulative structural disadvantage — not individual choice.
Sources: AIHW, 2023; ABS, 2023; Zhao et al., 2014
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- health-inequality
- australia-statistics
- life-expectancy
- public-health
- social-disadvantage
- first-nations