ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLES

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience a range of relative disadvantages, including low household economic wellbeing. Lower levels of employment and educational attainment relative to non-Indigenous Australians contribute to lower economic resources.

In 2004-05, the average real equivalised gross weekly household income for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (aged 18 years and over) was $508 per week compared with $830 for non-Indigenous people. Between 2004-05 and 2008, average real equivalised gross weekly household income for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people rose by 14% (to $580 per week). However, the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous weekly income still remained the same. Overall, in 2004-05 and 2008, average real equivalised gross weekly household income for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was around 61% of the corresponding figure for non-Indigenous people. (See the glossary for further information on how the average real equivalised gross weekly household income for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was measured).

Indicators of financial stress can also help to provide insight into the household economic wellbeing of people. In 2008, just under half (47%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over lived in a household where the household would be unable to raise $2000 within a week in an emergency, decreasing from 54% in 2002 (ABS 2009c).