Overviews
Australian Bureau of Statistics
1994 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey
Australia's Indigenous Youth
ABS catalogue number 4197.0
Introduction
This publication presents results from the 1994 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey (NATSIS), with an emphasis on Indigenous youth - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 to 24 years. Approximately 5,000 Indigenous dwellings throughout Australia were selected for the 1994 survey which comprised 6.6% (17,500 persons) of the Indigenous population.
The 1994 NATSIS data showed that Indigenous youth (persons aged 15-24 years) made up almost 21% of Australia's Indigenous population (total of 303,300 persons). For 1994, among the total Australian population (17.8 million persons), youth comprised of only 15% of the population.
Family and culture
Less than half (45%) of Indigenous youth lived with their parents, compared with almost two-thirds (65%) of all Australian 15 to 24 year olds. More Indigenous youth than non-Indigenous youth lived as partners in couple relationships (21%), with other relatives (14%), or as lone parents (9%).
Almost seven out of ten Indigenous youth had attended cultural activities in the 12 months prior to the survey. This was almost as much as older Indigenous people (aged 25 years and over) where three quarters had taken part in some form of cultural activity.
Almost 42% of Indigenous youth living in rural areas spoke an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language, whereas fewer than 4% in capital cities did so.
At the time of the survey seven out of ten Indigenous youth recognised homelands (an area with which they had ancestral or cultural links), compared to almost eight out of ten Indigenous people aged 25 years and over. See chart below.
Indigenous youth- recognition of homelands
Health
Just over one in three (21,400) of all Indigenous youth reported experiencing an illness in the two weeks before the survey. Almost one-fifth of these (19%) reported injuries as the illness condition. Males (28%) were three times more likely to report having had an injury than females (9%). Other commonly reported recent illness conditions were influenza (affecting 18%) and headaches (14%). Over one in four (16,900) of Indigenous youth surveyed reported a long-term illness condition.
Almost half (48%) of Indigenous youth reported that they smoked. This proportion increased with age. Thirty-eight percent of Indigenous youth reported that they had consumed alcohol in the week prior to the survey. A higher percentage of Indigenous males (47%) reported drinking alcohol than Indigenous females (29%) in the previous week. Alcohol was seen as the main health problem by almost 60% of Indigenous youth.
Indigenous youth with a long-term health condition
Housing
The majority of Indigenous youth (95%) lived in private dwellings. Three-quarters of these youth were living in dwellings which were rented. Most commonly, their accommodation was rented from State or other government housing bodies (41 %), community organisations (30%) or private landlords (23%). In rural areas, community organisations provided two-thirds (66%) of the rented accommodation used by Indigenous youth.
About a third of Indigenous youth who lived in private dwellings, felt that the dwellings did not satisfy the needs of the household. The level of dissatisfaction was highest in rural areas, where the dwellings of 46% of 15 to 24 year-olds were reported as being unsatisfactory.
Education
School participation rates for Indigenous youth were lower than for all Australian youth. Most Indigenous 15-24 year-olds (57%) had left school at year 10 or below. Another 21% were still at school; 13% had completed year 12; while 10% had some form of post-school qualification. In comparison, in February 1994, it was estimated that 23% of all Australian 15-24 year-olds had post-school qualifications.
Employment and income
Thirty-one percent of Indigenous 15-24 year-olds were employed at the time of the survey. Males were more likely to have a job, and the proportion of Indigenous youth employed increased with age.
Among the Indigenous population, the unemployment rate was higher among youth (47%)%) than those aged 25 years and over (33%). Half of Indigenous youth aged between 15-19 years were unemployed at the time of the survey. The unemployment rate for all Australian youth aged between 15-19 years at June 1994 was much lower at 22%.
NATSIS data showed that over half of Indigenous youth reported having an annual income of $8,000 or less. Government payments (unemployment benefits, family payments, sole parent pension, rent assistance, etc) were the main source of income for 48% of Indigenous youth.
Law and justice
Dealing with the law or the police was a common experience for Indigenous youth. Over one-quarter of them stated that they had been arrested by the police in the last five years, with 60% of those, more than once.
Almost one in seven Indigenous youth had been attacked or threatened verbally within the previous 12 months prior to interview.
Forty-one percent of Indigenous youth felt that family violence was a common problem in households in their area.
Indigenous youth - experience with the law or police
For more information and/or to obtain a copy of the publication, contact the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics in the Darwin ABS Office on 1800 633 216. The price of the publication is $16.50 and copies can be purchased from the nearest ABS office (in all capital cities). Statistics are also available from NCATSIS on many other topics of interest to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
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