Towards an index of relative Indigenous socioeconomic disadvantage

This paper explores how a variety of indicators of socioeconomic status can be combined to form a composite index of relative socioeconomic disadvantage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) regional council areas. Data from the 1991 and 1996 Census, augmented with administrative data from ATSIC are used to construct an index of relative socioeconomic disadvantage for the 36 ATSIC regional council areas. The changes in relative socioeconomic disadvantage between 1991 and 1996 are also analysed. Policy implications are considered along with the usefulness of the relative indexes of socioeconomic status.