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OverviewThis is the third Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage report, prepared at therequest of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG). It provides indicatorsof Indigenous disadvantage, with a focus on areas where governments can make adifference. It contains information on the current level of disadvantage, and wherepossible, how that disadvantage has changed over time. And importantly, it acts as adriver for positive change by identifying key areas for action.Across virtually all the indicators in this Report, wide gaps remain in outcomesbetween Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Despite Australia’s worldclass health system, the life expectancy of Indigenous people is estimated to bearound 17 years lower than that for the total Australian population. Despitecompulsory education, Indigenous students at all levels experience much worseoutcomes than non-Indigenous students. And Indigenous people are significantlyover-represented in the criminal justice system, as both victims and offenders.Although these outcomes are disturbing, the challenge is not impossible. Indigenouspeople make up just over 2 per cent of the Australian population (although they arewidely dispersed across the country). Concerted action by governments, byIndigenous people and by business and the community, can make a difference.This Report is part of a commitment by all governments in Australia to tackle theproblems that lead to Indigenous disadvantage. The Report’s framework is like amap — the priority outcomes identify the destination, while the indicators are likestaging posts along the way, highlighting key areas for attention, showing howmuch progress has been made, and how far we still have to go.The Report has three parts:• this Overview, which summarises the Report’s key messages• the main Report, which provides more detailed information and the evidencebase supporting the Report’s framework and choice of indicators• the attachment tables (published on the Review website), which include all thedata used in the Report.Throughout this Report, the term ‘Indigenous’ is used to refer to people who haveidentified themselves as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Although theOVERVIEW 1