Sense of belonging

Valuing diversity, belonging and culture

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Metrics

  • Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who recognise an area as their homelands or traditional country
  • The Social Cohesion Index: Sense of belonging measure

Why this matters

A sense of belonging, a feeling of being part of a larger group or connected to a broader community is an important determinant of wellbeing. The acceptance of diversity, the celebration of culture, and appreciation of custom, can support a sense of belonging.

The National Agreement on Closing the Gap recognises that these unique bonds are fundamental to improved life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Progress

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who recognise an area as their homelands or traditional country

Data from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey shows that the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over who recognised an area as their homelands or traditional country increased between 2002 (70%) and 2014-15 (74%).

The 2018-19 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey collected this information from people aged 18 years and over:

  • around three-quarters (74%) recognised an area as their homelands or traditional country
  • people who lived in remote areas (90%) were more likely than those in non-remote areas (71%) to recognise their homelands or traditional country. 
  1. Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over. Data is sourced from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS).
  2. Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years and over. Data is sourced from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS). Data should not be compared to NATSISS due to the difference of applicable ages in the surveys.
Data Source
NATSISS and NATSIHS data reported in Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage

The Social Cohesion Index: Sense of belonging measure

In 2023, within the Social Cohesion Index:

  • the Sense of Belonging domain measure was 78, its lowest value since the index began in 2007 (with a benchmark score of 100).
  • the Sense of Belonging domain measure score was 3 lower than in 2022 (81) and 10 lower than the scores in 2020 (88).
  1. The Sense of Belonging measure is one of the five domains measures included in the Scanlon-Monash Index of Social Cohesion. The measure reported reflects agreement or identification with the following three data items; 'Sense of belonging in Australia', Pride in the Australian way of life and culture', and 'Important to maintain way of life and culture'.
  2. The Mapping Social Cohesion Survey was not run in 2008 and administered twice in 2020.
  3. In 2018 the Mapping Social Cohesion Survey methodology changed from being administered via telephone only, to telephone and online (using the Life in Australia panel). For further details, please refer to the 2018 Scanlon Mapping Social Cohesion Report. 
Data Source
Scanlon Foundation Research Institute - 2023 Mapping Social Cohesion Report

Disaggregation

Additional information on how a sense of belonging varies between population groups is provided at the links below.

Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who recognise an area as their homelands or traditional country: Data Tables: 2.14 Indigenous people with access to their traditional lands.

Disaggregation available includes:

  • Age group 
  • Remoteness
  • Education
  • Labour force status
  • Health status
  • Disability status.

Additional data and insights regarding the sense of belonging in Australia is available via the 2023 Mapping Social Cohesion Report.