The economic status of Indigenous Australian households: a statistical and ethnographic analysis

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the contemporary economic status of Indigenous households relative to other Australian households, based on an analysis of 1991 Census data and a review of ethnographic case study evidence. The analysis is expanded by a brief consideration of information on households from the 1994 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey. The paper complements an earlier one by Daly and Smith (1995) focusing on Indigenous families and is part of a longer-term project to investigate changes in the economic status of families and households over time. A multidisciplinary approach is employed, reviewing ethnographic case study research to give a qualitative depth to the quantitative analysis. The paper highlights critical differences in the socioeconomic status of Indigenous households relative to others and suggests a number of policy implications.