2039.0 - Information Paper: An Introduction to Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 26/03/2008   
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SEIFA is a suite of four summary measures that have been created from 2006 Census information. The indexes can be used to explore different aspects of socio-economic conditions by geographic areas. For each index, every geographic area in Australia is given a SEIFA number which shows how disadvantaged that area is compared with other areas in Australia.


Each index summarises a different aspect of the socio-economic conditions of people living in an area. They each summarise a different set of social and economic information. The indexes provide more general measures of socio-economic status than is given by measuring income or unemployment alone, for example.


The four indexes in SEIFA 2006 are:

  • Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage: is derived from Census variables related to disadvantage, such as low income, low educational attainment, unemployment, and dwellings without motor vehicles.
  • Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage: a continuum of advantage (high values) to disadvantage (low values) which is derived from Census variables related to both advantage and disadvantage, like household with low income and people with a tertiary education.
  • Index of Economic Resources: focuses on Census variables like the income, housing expenditure and assets of households.
  • Index of Education and Occupation: includes Census variables relating to the educational and occupational characteristics of communities, like the proportion of people with a higher qualification or those employed in a skilled occupation.

The concept of relative socio-economic disadvantage is neither simple, nor well defined. SEIFA uses a broad definition of relative socio-economic disadvantage in terms people's access to material and social resources, and their ability to participate in society. While SEIFA represents an average of all people living in an area, SEIFA does not represent the individual situation of each person. Larger areas are more likely to have greater diversity of people and households.


This Information Paper accompanies the Datacubes and Technical Paper:

      2033.0.55.001 Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) - Data Only, 2006
      2039.0.55.001 Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) - Technical Paper, 2006


INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070