Linda Burney, Minister for Indigenous Australians
New data monitoring progress on Closing the Gap has confirmed most targets are not on track.
The Closing the Gap targets are designed to reduce disadvantage faced by First Nations people and have been agreed to by Federal, state, and territory governments.
The current 17 targets were agreed to in 2020 – only four are clearly on track. Here’s what we learned from yesterday’s update, which provided new data on nine of the targets.
Baby Birth Weight: Not on Track
Target: By 2031, 91% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies to be born with a healthy birthweight.
The latest data shows an improvement since 2017 (from 88.8% to 89%), but not fast enough to meet the target.
Yr 12 Completion: Not on Track
Target: By 2031, 96% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 20-24-year-olds to have completed Year 12 or equivalent.
The latest data shows an improvement since 2016 (from 63% to 68%), but not fast enough to meet the target.
Higher Education: Not on Track
Target: By 2031, 70% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 25-34-year-olds to have a Cert III qualification or above.
The latest data shows an improvement since 2016 (from 42% to 47%), but not fast enough to meet the target.
Youth Outcomes: Not on Track
Target: By 2031, 67% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 15-24-year-olds to be in employment, education, or training.
The latest data shows an improvement since 2016 (from 57% to 58%), but not fast enough to meet the target.
Employment: On Track
Target: By 2031, 62% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 25-64-year-olds to be employed.
The latest data shows an improvement since 2016 (from 51% to 56%) and the target is on track to be met.
Housing: Not on Track
Target: By 2031, 88% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to be living in housing that is not overcrowded.
The latest data shows an improvement since 2016 (from 79% to 81%), but not fast enough to meet the target.
Suicide Rates: Not on Track
Target: Significant and sustained reduction in suicide rates towards zero.
The latest data suggests the rate is worsening. In 2021, it was 27 per 100,000 people compared to 25 in 2018.
Land Rights: On Track
Target: By 2030, a 15% increase in land mass under Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander legal rights or interests.
About 200,000 km² has been returned from 2020 to 2022, taking the total to over 4.1 million km².
Sea Rights: Not on Track
Target: By 2030, a 15% increase in sea area under Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander legal rights or interests.
About 1,000 km² has been returned from 2020 to 2022, taking the total to over 91,000 km², but not a fast enough improvement to meet the target.
