Closing the Gap: guide to data specifications for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey

A guide to how data items from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey are used to report against Closing the Gap targets

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Released
26/11/2024
Source
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, 2022-23 financial year
Released
28/10/2025 11:30am AEDT

About Closing the Gap

The  National Agreement on Closing the Gap includes 19 national targets across 17 associated outcomes. It is based on four Priority Reforms that change how governments work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities.

Progress on the 17 national targets is monitored by the Productivity Commission and available in the Implementation Tracker | Closing the Gap. The Information Repository includes a data dashboard with the latest information on the targets and indicators, as well as an annual data report.

The 2022–23 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS) is one of many sources used to report progress against the targets and their indicators. This guide only includes targets where NATSIHS is the identified source. 

How to use this guide

This guide does not provide any data. It explains how various Closing the Gap indicators use data from the NATSIHS, including any inclusions/exclusions or grouping of categories within a data item that have been applied. This information will assist users in creating custom NATSIHS data that matches the specifications of these indicators when using the ABS TableBuilder product. 

The 2022–23 NATSIHS data items and other supporting information such as the applicable populations and comparability with other ABS surveys, including the 2018–19 NATSIHS, can be found in the detailed index tab of the Data Item List located in the Data Downloads section on this page.

Further information around definitions and concepts, collection method and comparability with earlier iterations of the NATSIHS can be found on the 2022–23 NATSIHS Methodology page.

For information on more general statistical terms and concepts, see Statistical terms and concepts.

Terms and definitions

This guide refers to targets, indicators and measures as defined by the Productivity Commission. 

  • Targets are specific and measurable goals for each of the outcome areas. Targets focus on an ‘end point’ and are a way to determine if a desired outcome has been achieved.
  • Indicators represent the concepts, experiences, or activities that are being measured, including for each of the targets.
  • Contextual information indicators provide insight into the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people under each socioeconomic outcome.
  • Drivers indicators measure those factors that significantly impact the progress made against a socioeconomic target.
  • Measures allow us to create or locate the right data sets and are a more detailed and concrete understanding of what each indicator means. For each indicator, there may be one or more measures.

How to access the data

Selected data for the data items mentioned in this guide can be accessed from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples statistics page. Published data should be compared with caution. Please check footnotes and table specifications to ensure items are comparable with the Closing the Gap indicators – for example, age groups or remoteness areas used may or may not exactly match the indicator specifications.

Data collected in the 2022–23 NATSIHS is available in TableBuilder. This product allows users to choose a topic and create custom tables.

Custom data can also be requested via an ABS consultancy, which is a paid service. For more information, see  Consultancy Request Form.

Non-Indigenous comparisons

The ABS supports a strengths-based approach when disseminating data about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.

However, the ABS acknowledges some users may want to compare the NATSIHS data for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population with data for the non-Indigenous population from other surveys, such as the National Health Survey.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has a younger age structure than the non-Indigenous population. Age is strongly related to many population characteristics, such as long-term health conditions and employment patterns. To account for this, the ABS uses a technique called age standardisation to produce proportions that can be used for comparison purposes. Age standardised estimates of prevalence are those rates that ‘would have occurred’ should both the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous populations have the same age composition.

The ABS recommends any comparisons between the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population and the non-Indigenous population for characteristics which are associated with age are done using age standardised estimates. Age standardised estimates are not required when making comparisons by age group (for example, 18–24 years). 

Age standardised estimates can be produced on request by the ABS as a paid consultancy – see Consultancy request form for more information. 

Socioeconomic outcome areas

Disaggregations

1 People enjoy long and healthy lives

9 People secure appropriate, affordable housing that is aligned with their priorities and need

14 People enjoy high levels of social and emotional wellbeing

15 People maintain a distinctive cultural, spiritual, physical and economic relationship with their land and waters

16 Cultures and languages are strong, supported and flourishing

17 People have access to information and services enabling participation in informed-decision making regarding their own lives

Data Downloads

For more information see: 2022–23 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Data Item List.

Post-release changes

28 October 2025

Methodology

For more information see: Methodology.