First Nations people data
The AIHW uses ‘First Nations people’ to refer to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in this report. The burden of disease among First Nations people is 2.3 times that of non-Indigenous Australians. The leading contributors to the burden of disease for First Nations people are, in order: mental and substance use disorders, injuries, cardiovascular disease, cancer and musculoskeletal conditions (AIHW 2024a).
The health system’s response to this challenge involves a combination of private and public state and territory primary care providers and First Nations people-specific primary care providers. The establishment of PHNs in 2015 provided an opportunity to build connections across the health system to further improve access for First Nations people to appropriately targeted care that is effective and culturally appropriate (Department of Health 2016).
The 2020 National Agreement on Closing the Gap is based on the partnership of governments and First Nations people working in and sharing decision-making to support better health and wellbeing outcomes for First Nations people (PM&C 2020), (AIHW 2024a).
It has been acknowledged that significant numbers of First Nations people are being treated by mainstream practices and there is a recognised need for improvements in the rates of identification of First Nations clients at these practices (RACGP 2020a).
Figure 56 shows, as of July 2025, nationally, of the regular clients aged 15 years and over:
- 2.1% of clients had Indigenous status recorded in their GP record as First Nations
- 76.9% of clients had Indigenous status recorded in their GP record as Non-Indigenous
- 21.0% of clients had a Not Stated Indigenous status in their GP record.
Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and other organisations funded under the Indigenous Australians’ Health Programme do not submit data to this national PIP Eligible Data Set, and therefore are not represented within this report.
Figure 56: Proportion of regular clients with their Indigenous status recorded in their GP record, by PHN, July 2025
This stacked bar chart shows the proportion of regular clients with their Indigenous status recorded in their GP record, by PHN for July 2025.
AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) (2024a) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework - Summary report, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 5 September 2025.
Department of Health (2016) Primary Health Networks (PHN) and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations guiding principles, Department of Health, Australian Government, accessed 5 September 2025.
DPMC (Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet) (2020) Closing the Gap In Partnership, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Australian Government, accessed 5 September 2025.
RACGP (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners) (2020a) Identification of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australian general practice: Position statement - July 2020, East Melbourne, Victoria, accessed 5 September 2025.