The imprisonment rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has risen by 12% in the past year and 20% since 2019, despite a national commitment made in 2020 to reduce incarceration by 15% by 2031.
Indigenous organisations are calling for stronger government action after new Closing the Gap data revealed worsening trends in child protection, incarceration, and suicide rates. The report showed that while four targets were on track, six had improved but remained off track, four were worsening, and another four could not be assessed.
The Indigenous incarceration rate in 2024 stood at 2,304 per 100,000, up by 20% from 1,906 in 2019 and 2,042 in 2023. The number of First Nations children in out-of-home care also increased, rising from 47.3 per 1,000 in 2019 to 50.3 per 1,000 in 2024. Suicide rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people reached 30.8 per 100,000 in 2023—the highest recorded since 2018—though researchers cautioned that population data changes may have influenced the figures.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics noted a 25% rise in the Indigenous population between 2017 and 2021, while the Northern Territory recorded a decline, even when the imprisonment rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has risen by 12% in the past year and 20% since 2019
Productivity Commissioner Selwyn Button stressed that the data underscored the need for governments to honor their commitments and fully implement priority reforms. He emphasized that governments must improve collaboration with community-controlled organisations in planning, designing, and implementing policies.
However, Button also urged caution in interpreting certain data points, such as suicide rates and Northern Territory trends, which showed declines in female life expectancy, birth weight, early childhood education, youth engagement, employment, and incarceration rates for both children and adults.
Despite setbacks, the report highlighted progress in digital access, with over 88% of Indigenous Australians aged 15 and over using the internet daily. Gains were also recorded in land rights, with nearly 4.5 million sq km of land and over 110,000 sq km of sea country now under Indigenous ownership or interests.
Blake Cansdale, national director of justice advocacy group ‘Change the Record’, criticized some governments’ “tough on crime” stance, arguing that it leads to more First Nations people being drawn into the justice system. He called for a shift toward health-based and social support solutions that address the root causes of offending.
Pat Turner, lead convenor of the Coalition of Peaks, acknowledged progress in certain areas but warned that significant challenges remained in incarceration, child protection, and suicide prevention. She urged governments to fully implement the Closing the Gap agreement and emphasized that lasting change can only be achieved if solutions are led by Indigenous communities rather than imposed upon them.
