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Language Statistics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples methodology

Latest release

Reference period

2021

Released

25/10/2022

Next release Unknown

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This publication presents results from the 1991 to 2021 Census of Population and Housing (Census) and the 2008 and 2014-15 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS).

For the respective Methodologies, refer to the following:

Census

NATSISS

Explanatory notes, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, 2008.
Explanatory notes, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, 2014-15.

Table 1. Key methodology information about Census, NATSIHS and NATSISS
	Census of Population and Housing (Census)	National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS)	National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS)
Scope	All people in Australia on Census night in private and non-private dwellings. Excludes foreign diplomats and their families.	A sample of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of all ages living in private dwellings in non-remote and remote areas of Australia, including discrete Indigenous communities.	A sample of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of all ages living in private dwellings in non-remote and remote areas of Australia, including discrete Indigenous communities.
Sample	Not applicable.	The most recent 2018-19 NATSIHS had a sample of 10,579 fully responding people/6,388 households (see Methodology for more information).	The most recent 2014-15 NATSISS had a sample of 11,178 fully responding people/6,611 households (see User Guide for more information).
Collection Methodology	An online or paper form self-completed by households or completed with interviewer assistance in some situations (e.g., Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities). See Census Methodology for more information	Computer-assisted personal interview.	Computer-assisted personal interview.
Response rates and undercoverage	For the 2021 Census: Item non-response to the Indigenous Status question: 4.9%. Net Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander undercount (from the 2021 Census Post Enumeration Survey): 17.4%.	For the 2018-19 NATSIHS: Household response rate: 73.4% Undercoverage: 67% of the in-scope Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. See Methodology for more information.	For the 2014-15 NATSISS: Household response rate: 80.3% Undercoverage: 62% of the in-scope Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. See User Guide for more information.

Comparability of Census and Survey Data

Data collected from the Census and surveys are not comparable due to the differences in their scope and design.

In the Census, all people present on Census night are approached to participate so there is no weighting required, and no sampling error involved.

In the ABS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander surveys, only part of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is approached to participate. Responses are weighted to make inferences about the whole population. As a result, surveys are subject to a degree of sampling error. The ABS publishes measures of sampling error for survey data that provide an indication of the accuracy of survey data. Further information about measures of error in sample surveys is available in Errors in Statistical Data.

Data definitions

Data definitions table

Table 2. Language Statistics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – data definitions(a)
Measurement	Downloads table	Collection	Data items	Inclusions/Exclusions(a)
Speakers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages	Language speakers, table 1.1	Census 1991-2021	Language spoken/used at home (LANP)(b)	All persons. Denominator includes all languages in the ASCL and not stated responses.
	Language speakers, table 1.2	Census 2006-2021	Language spoken/used at home (LANP)(b) Indigenous status (INGP)	All persons. Denominator includes all languages under broad group 8 ‘Australian Indigenous languages’.
	Language speakers, tables 1.3.1-1.3.4 and 1.4	Census 2006-2021	Language spoken/used at home (LANP)(b) Age (AGEP)	All persons. Denominator includes all languages under broad group 8 ‘Australian Indigenous languages’.
	Language speakers, table 1.5	Census 2006-2021	Language spoken/used at home (LANP)(b) State/Territory	All persons. Denominator includes all languages under broad group 8 ‘Australian Indigenous languages’. Australia total includes Other Territories.
	Language speakers by State Territory, Indigenous location and Indigenous Region, tables 1.1-2.9	Census 2016 and 2021	Language spoken/used at home (LANP)(b) Indigenous Location (ILOC) Indigenous Region (IREG)	All persons. Denominator includes: all languages under broad group 8 ‘Australian Indigenous languages’ and migratory-offshore-shipping and no usual address.
Number of languages spoken	Language speakers, tables 1.3.1-1.3.4	Census 2006-2021	Language spoken/used at home (LANP)(b)	All persons. Denominator includes: languages under broad group 8 ‘Australian Indigenous languages’ (including languages that are not elsewhere classified (‘nec’). Denominator excludes: languages under broad group 8 ‘Australian Indigenous languages’ that are not further defined (‘nfd’), LANP not stated responses and languages outside of ASCL broad group 8 ‘Australian Indigenous languages’.
English as a second language	English as a second language, table 1.1	Census 2006-2021	Proficiency in spoken English (ENGP) State/Territory	All persons who reported speaking an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language. Denominator includes: people who did not state their main language at home or proficiency in spoken English, and people who spoke a language other than English at home but did not state their proficiency in spoken English. Australia total includes Other Territories. Denominator excludes: persons who speak English only.
	English as a second language, table 2.1	NATSISS 2014-15	Whether experienced difficulty understanding and/or being understood by English speakers	Persons aged 15 years and over. Denominator excludes: persons whose main language is not an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language.
Understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages	Language speakers, table 2.1	NATSISS 2008-2014-15	Whether understands an Australian Indigenous language	Persons 3 years and over only. Denominator excludes: persons whose main language spoken at home was an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language and persons not currently speaking.
	Language speakers, table 2.1	NATSISS 2008-2014-15	Whether speaks an Australian Indigenous language	Persons 3 years and over only. Denominator excludes: persons whose main language spoken at home was an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language and persons not currently speaking.
Learning of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages	Language learning, table 1.1 and 1.2	NATSISS 2008-2014-15	Whether currently learning an Australian Indigenous language	Persons 3 years and over only. Data available by age group. Denominator excludes: persons whose main language spoken at home was an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language and persons not currently speaking.
	Language learning, table 2.1 and 2.2	NATSISS 2008 and 2014-15	Who is teaching, or where learning Indigenous language	Persons 3 years and over only. Denominator excludes: persons whose main language spoken at home was an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language or are not currently speaking, and persons who were not currently learning an Australian Indigenous Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language.

(a) All data is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons unless otherwise specified.

(b) In the 2021 Census, the question 'Does the person use a language other than English at home' was amended to include the word 'use' rather than 'speak' to better accommodate members of the community who use sign language. For more information, see Language used at home (LANP) in the 2021 Census Dictionary.

About ABS Geography

The Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) provides a framework of statistical areas used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and other organisations to enable the publication of statistics that are comparable and spatially integrated. The ASGS provides users with an integrated set of standard areas that can be used for analysing, visualising and integrating statistics produced by the ABS and other organisations. See here for further information about the ASGS.

The tables in this publication are presented by the following ASGS ABS Structures:

Main Structure

State and Territory

Remoteness Structure

Major Cities of Australia, Inner Regional Australia, Outer Regional Australia, Remote Australia, Very Remote Australia and Remote and Non-remote areas.

Indigenous Structure

Indigenous Regions (IREG) and Indigenous Locations (ILOC)

Census data is presented at all of the above geography structures, while the survey data is limited to state and territory and remoteness.. Further information about ABS statistical geography and a diagram of how the various ABS Structures interrelate can be found in the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3.

The Indigenous Structure is based on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ population distribution in the broader Australian community, so is ideal for analysis of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander data. In the ASGS Indigenous Structure, Indigenous Locations (ILOCs) are the smallest available unit. These are combined to create Indigenous Areas (IAREs) and then Indigenous Regions (IREGs). Further information about the Indigenous Structure can be found in Indigenous Structure: Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3.

Census data is also presented by the Non ABS Structure of Local Government Areas. Further information about the Non ABS Structures can be found in Local Government Areas: Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3.

APA

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