Mortality rates of indigenous people, which are general indicators of health status, were on average three times those of other Australians.
Total health service spending for and by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was $2320 per capita, which is about 8% higher than health service spending for and by other Australians.
For government expenditure alone the ratio of indigenous to non-indigenous spending per person was over 1.5:1.
Nearly 80% of all health services for indigenous people are managed by the States and Territories.
The highest cost figures for indigenous people are in Western Australia and the Northern Territory, possibly reflecting the higher proportion living in remote locations in those States.
Patterns of health service use are very different, with indigenous people mostly using publicly funded hospital and community services, and spending much less on private doctors, private hospital care, dentistry, medicines and ancillary services.
