MAIN DATA SOURCES
Information in this release primarily draws on data from the 2008 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (cat. no. 4714.0). However, the Population Overview article, which provides contextual information for the rest of the publication, includes data from Experimental Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, June 2006 (cat. no. 3238.0.55.001).
A brief description of the main sources used in this release is provided in the following paragraphs.
Terms and concepts used in this release are explained in the Glossary.
NATIONAL ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER SOCIAL SURVEY
The 2008 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) provides information on a range of demographic, social, environmental and economic indicators, including: personal and household characteristics; geography; language and cultural activities; social networks and support; health and disability; education; employment; financial stress; income; transport; personal safety; and housing.
The 2008 NATSISS was conducted from August 2008 to April 2009 and is the third national social survey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians conducted by the ABS, building on the 1994 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey (NATSIS) and the 2002 NATSISS.
The survey collected information from approximately 13,300 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults and children living in private dwellings in remote and non-remote areas, including discrete communities. The 2008 survey was the first time data was collected in the NATSISS for children aged 0–14 years of age.
More information on the 2008 NATSISS is available in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey: Users' Guide, 2008 (cat. no. 4720.0).
As the 2008 NATSISS only collected data for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, other surveys have been used to compare findings with the non-Indigenous population where relevant.
For more information on how the NATSISS compares to non-Indigneous data sources, see Comparison to other ABS data sources appendix from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, 2008 (cat. no. 4714.0).
EXPERIMENTAL ESTIMATES AND PROJECTIONS, ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER AUSTRALIANS
The Population Overview section of this publication draws the estimates of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population from Experimental Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, June 2006 (cat. no. 3238.0.55.001).
The estimates are based on 2006 Census of Population and Housing counts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians adjusted for those who may not have been counted (net undercount - as measured by the Post Enumeration Survey). These provide the most recent estimates available to compare the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous populations.
The extent of undercoverage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in the 2006 Census and the relatively small sample size of the Post Enumeration Survey to adjust for that undercoverage means the estimates should be interpreted with caution. For more information on data quality see paragraphs 9 to 22 of the Explanatory Notes and Technical Note: Estimated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian Resident Population - Method of Calculation, (cat. no. 3238.0.55.001).
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