Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people

Indigenous Australians had a lower estimated participation rate than non-Indigenous Australians. They also experienced a higher screening positivity rate but have a lower follow-up diagnostic assessment rate and a longer median time between a positive screen and an assessment. Indigenous Australians had higher age-standardised bowel cancer incidence rates and higher mortality rates compared with non-Indigenous Australians (Table 4.3).

Reasons for differences in screening outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians are not known. However, a contributing factor can be that higher proportions of Indigenous Australians live in Remote and very remote locations and in lower socioeconomic areas, where there is poorer access to relevant services.

Table 4.3: Summary of performance indicators for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians

Indicator

Summary of performance indicators for Indigenous Australians compared with non-Indigenous Australians

Indigenous

Non-Indigenous

PI 1 - Participation rate(a)

Lower participation rate

38.4%

42.4%

PI 2 - Screening positivity rate

Higher screening positivity rate

7.9%

5.6%

PI 3 - Diagnostic assessment rate

Lower diagnostic assessment follow-up rate

78.9%

85.7%

PI 4 - Time between positive screen and diagnostic assessment

Longer median time

77 days

61 days

PI 9 - Adverse events –hospital admission

Comparison not published

n.p.

n.p.

PI 10 - Incidence of bowel cancer(b)(c)

Higher age-standardised incidence rate

115 per 100,000

105 per 100,000

PI 11 - Mortality from bowel cancer(c)(d)

Higher age-standardised mortality rate

34 per 100,000

26 per 100,000


  1. Participation rates by Indigenous status were estimated using 2021 Census proportions (see Appendix C for more information).
  2. Includes only New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, the Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory.
  3. These rates were calculated using Indigenous populations based on the 2021 Census and should not be compared with rates calculated using populations based on previous Censuses. See Box 3.1 for more information.
  4. Includes only New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Notes:

  1. The participation indicator PI 1 is reported against the period 2023–2024 with follow-up to June 2025. The screening indicator PI 2 is reported against the period 2024. The assessment indicators PIs 3 and 4 are reported against the period 2024 with follow-up to 31 December 2025. Incidence is reported for 2017–2021. Mortality is reported for 2019–2023.
  2. Indicators PI 3–9 rely on information being reported to the NCSR (ACSQHC 2020). As this NBCSP form return is not mandated by the NBCSP, there may be incomplete form return and incomplete data. However, Participant follow-up function (PFUF) data are now used to supplement missing colonoscopy form data and MBS claims.
  3. PI 5a (adenoma detection rate), PI 5b (PPV of diagnostic assessment for detecting adenoma), PI 6a (bowel cancer detection rate), PI 6b (PPV of diagnostic assessment for detecting bowel cancer), PI 7 (interval cancer rate), and PI 8 (cancer clinico-pathological stage distribution) are not reported due to data incompleteness or unavailability.
  4. The incidence counts and rates for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians presented are underestimates due to the relatively large proportion of people whose Indigenous status is not stated. Also, it is likely that some Indigenous Australians are misclassified as non‑Indigenous Australians. Therefore, the estimates presented should be interpreted with caution.
  5. Bowel cancer incidence and mortality rates for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians are compared using age-standardised rates to account for the different age structures of these populations.

Sources: Census data; AIHW ACD 2021; AIHW NMD; AIHW analysis of NCSR as at 31 December 2025 (NCSR RDE 6/02/2026).


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