While countries like Australia, New Zealand and the United States enjoy first-class health systems, a comparison of key health indicators between their Indigenous and non-Indigenous citizens shows that one group is clearly missing out on the benefits.

“When comparing socio-economic statistics, like employment, home ownership, high school education, and university graduates, the socio economic status of Indigenous Australians is much lower than their Native American counterparts.” (Moran, M. 1997)

The table below gives a powerful insight into the disadvantage faced by the Aboriginal people of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States as compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts.

Looking outside our nation, the life expectancy of Australia’s Indigenous people is much lower than that of Native Americans, as well as Indigenous people in Canada and New Zealand.

If we are to bridge the gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, we have to bridge the gap in socio-economic status, especially with education and employment levels, but also with home ownership, governance and leadership.

Note: The Australian Bureau of Statistics Discussion Paper 3302.0.55.002 released on 17/11/2008 ('Assessment of Methods for Developing Life Tables for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians') cites the average life expectancy for Indigenous males  in 2005-2007 calculated by the ABS's preferred method as 66.9 years.

Moran, M. 1997. Technology and Health in Indigenous Communities: USA, Canada and Australia [online]: Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. [accessed May 2008].

Freemantle, J., Officer, K., McAullay, D. & Anderson, I. 2007, Australian Indigenous Health - Within an International Context, Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health, Darwin.