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CHANGING IDENTIFICATION BY SEX

Overall, males were more likely than females to change identification. Over one-third (37%) of males who have ever identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander changed identification, compared to 31% of females who have ever identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

5.1 Consistency of identification as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person by sex, 2006-2016(a)



(a) Persons aged 10 years and over in 2016.

For further detail, see Table 9 in the data cube titled ‘ACLD 2006-2011-2016 Identification as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person in the Census over time’.
Note: Cells in this graph have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data. Discrepancies may occur between sums of the component items and totals.
Source: ABS 2019, Microdata: Australian Census Longitudinal Dataset, ACLD, cat no. 2080.0, ABS Canberra.

However, within the group who changed their identification, there were some differences between males and females:

• Females were more likely than males to be newly identified in 2016 (34% compared to 31%).
• Males were more likely than females to be previously identified (37% compared to 33%).

5.2 Persons whose Indigenous status has changed by sex, 2006-2016(a)(b)
		Male	Female	Total
		%
Newly identified in 2011		27.9	28.8	28.3
Newly identified in 2016		31.4	33.8	32.5
Previously identified		36.5	33.0	34.9
Total number of persons whose Indigenous status has changed(c)		124,092	109,344	233,547