Page 12 Aboriginal Cultural Competence STATISTICAL LIFE OF AN AVERAGE ABORIGINAL PERSON Birth The newborn joins 3.3% of the Australian Aboriginal population. Their family consists of 3.5 people, compared to a non-Indigenous family which averages about 2.6 people. Chances are at 12.6% that the newborn will be of low birth weight, double the rate of non-Indigenous babies. Low birth weight determines many health factors later in life. 5 years At this age some hearing problems will be apparent. 80% of Aboriginal children have some form of hearing problem. 15 years If the Aboriginal person is male, 33% of his age peers will be dead before they reach the age of 60. Only 8% of the average non-Indigenous Australian peer group do so. 18 years The average Indigenous Australian has dropped out of school last year - only about 38% of Indigenous students complete year 12, but 76% of nonIndigenous kids do. Ironically it was good they left school, because - statistically - the longer Aboriginal students stay at school the worse their performance gets. While they are more than likely to meet national year 3 literacy benchmarks, they fail national numeracy benchmarks in year 7. Now that they’re over 15, they are likely to be obese or overweight - 61% more likely, compared to non-Indigenous Australians (48 percent). 20 years 20 years was the median age for the entire Indigenous population in 2001, while on average the non-Indigenous population was 36 years old. They probably move into a metropolitan or urban area, as do 75% of their peers. The average Aboriginal Australian has trouble finding work. They are likely to join 27% of their age group who are unemployed while only 13% of their non-Indigenous peers have no job. Unofficial figures tend to be even worse. If they start work, superannuation is probably of little concern to them - they will likely die long before claiming it. 25 years About 6% of the average Aboriginal Australian’s Indigenous compatriots will be in prison. In some rural areas as many as 33% of Aboriginal males will go to prison at some stage of their life. On average, it is very likely that some member of an average Aboriginal Australian’s family is in prison right now.
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