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ARCHIVED: Youth Facts and Stats

Indigenous young people in education

Although there remains a marked difference in Year 12 completion rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, there have been improvements in educational participation and attainment for Indigenous people across Australia in the past decade.
In 2006, Indigenous 15- to 19-year-olds participating in education:
  • 51% -- up from 43% in 1996
  • in Very Remote areas: 28% -- up from 22% in 1996 (representing a 27% increase).
Substantial increases also occurred in Major Cities, Outer Regional and Remote areas.
Participation in education for Indigenous people aged 20-24 years:
  • 11% in 1996
  • 13% in 2006.
This increase was mostly confined to Major Cities and Inner Regional areas.
In 2006, rates of Year 12 completion:
  • for Indigenous young people aged 19 years: 37%
  • non-Indigenous young people aged 19 years: 74%.

Young Indigenous people with non-school qualifications

Between 1996 and 2006, increases in educational attainment among Indigenous people corresponded with increased levels of participation in education.
The proportion of Indigenous people aged 25-64 years with a non-school qualification:
  • 2006: 29%
  • 1996: 15%.
This increase in educational attainment was mostly due to a marked increase in the proportion of Indigenous people whose highest qualification was a Certificate or Advanced Diploma:
  • 2006: 23%
  • 1996: 12%.
The proportion of the Indigenous population whose highest qualification was a Bachelor degree or above was relatively small (compared with the non-Indigenous population):
  • 2006: 6%
  • 1996: 3%.
Increases in the proportion of Indigenous people with a non-school qualification occurred across all geographic regions, with the largest rises seen in Major Cities and Inner Regional areas, where there were increases of close to 15 percentage points in both areas between 1996 and 2006.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2008, Australian social trends, Cat. no. 4102.0, viewed 2 October 2008, http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Chapter6002008.