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Annual data report

Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report July 2022

Released 28 July 2022

This is the second Annual Data Compilation Report to inform reporting on progress under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. It was released on 28 July 2022.

Foreword

The National Agreement on Closing the Gap (the Agreement) is a significant agreement – committing to outcomes that have been developed in partnership between Australian governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak organisations. The Agreement enables new ways of doing things through its Priority Reforms, including that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people now share in the decisions made to close the gap. The Agreement also focuses on the outcomes experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to see if the gap is closing.

The Productivity Commission is pleased to play a role in supporting oversight and accountability of the Agreement, and to provide this second Annual Data Compilation Report to monitor progress under the Agreement.

The Commission would like to acknowledge the ongoing valuable contribution to our work by the Partnership Working Group that supports the Joint Council on Closing the Gap. As we continue this journey we intend to build on our existing relationships and engage with more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities and governments.

Michael Brennan
Chair

Romlie Mokak
Commissioner

Natalie Siegel-Brown
Commissioner

Annual Data Compilation Report July 2022 cover

Closing the Gap Agreement: more information is now available, but further time and data are needed to say if lives are improving

The Productivity Commission today released the second Annual Data Compilation Report. It provides a point-in-time snapshot of data for monitoring progress under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, signed in July 2020.

“It is still early days, but monitoring under this Agreement will look to show whether the actions committed to have occurred, and if the life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have improved,” said Romlie Mokak, Commissioner.

The actions focus on governments working differently with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to embed shared decision-making, build the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sector, transform mainstream government organisations and improve data sharing with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

“While progress has been made toward developing the data we need to see if these actions are happening, we don’t yet have the data,” said Romlie Mokak, Commissioner.

“Developing these data remains an important priority.”

However, new information on the life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are now available. These data relate to the socioeconomic outcome areas in the Agreement and were released via the Closing the Gap Dashboard in March and June 2022. A summary assessment of these data is included in this Report.

“This new information provides some emerging stories, but it is still too early to say if lives are improving under the Agreement, as the most recent available data are for 2021 which is only one year after the Agreement commenced,” said Michael Brennan, Chair of the Productivity Commission.

“While it may be some years before we know for sure whether this most recent Agreement is working to improve people’s lives, progress will become clearer with each year of reporting.”

The Annual Data Compilation Report is available on the Productivity Commission website at www.pc.gov.au/closing-the-gap-data/annual-data-report

Media requests

Media team – 02 6240 3330 / media@pc.gov.au

Background

Catie Bradbear, Assistant Commissioner (A/g) – 02 6240 3320 / ctg.data@pc.gov.au

Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report - July 2022

  • Foreword
  • Summary
     
  • Section 1: About this Report
  • Section 2: Monitoring the implementation of the Priority Reforms
  • Section 3: Monitoring the socioeconomic outcomes
  • Attachment A: Dashboard snapshots and data for download
     
  1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people enjoy long and healthy lives
  2. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are born healthy and strong
  3. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are engaged in high quality, culturally appropriate early childhood education in their early years  
  4. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children thrive in their early years
  5. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students achieve their full learning potential
  6. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students reach their full potential through further education pathways
  7. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth are engaged in employment or educatio
  8. Strong economic participation and development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities
  9. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people secure appropriate, affordable housing that is aligned with their priorities and need
  10. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults are not overrepresented in the criminal justice system
  11. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people are not overrepresented in the criminal justice system
  12. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are not overrepresented in the child protection system
  13. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and households are safe
  14. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people enjoy high levels of social and emotional wellbeing
  15. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people maintain a distinctive cultural, spiritual, physical and  economic relationship with their land and waters
  16. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and languages are strong, supported and flourishing
  17. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have access to information and services enabling participation in informed decision-making regarding their own lives

Socio-economic outcome areas

Printed copies of this report can be purchased from Canprint Communications.

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