Geography
All results are based on the patient’s area of usual residence – Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) – as recorded in the NHMD, and not where they received the health care service. Patients may use services outside of their area of usual residence.
This report presents information nationally, and at the following geographic areas:
- Remoteness Areas (RA) – Remoteness Areas have been assigned based on the ABS’ Remoteness Areas 2021 (RA 2021) boundaries (ABS 2023a). Remote and Very remote geographic areas have been combined for the purpose of this report.
- Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) – Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSD) quintiles – SEIFA quintiles have been assigned based on the ABS’ Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), Australia 2021 (ABS 2023b). The Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas comprises of 4 measures, developed by the ABS based on Census data that ranks geographic areas across Australia in terms of their relative socioeconomic advantage and disadvantage. The SEIFA index used in this report is the 2021 SEIFA Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage (IRSD). Population-based Australian cut-offs for SEIFA quintiles have been used in this report and are calculated by dividing SEIFA areas into 5 groups in such a way that the population in each group is approximately equal. As SEIFA measures the characteristics of an area rather than individuals, the population in the most disadvantaged population-based quintile (‘1-Lowest’) is the 20% of the national population living in the most disadvantaged areas, rather than the most disadvantaged 20% of the population.
- Primary Health Network (PHN) – 31 geographic areas covering Australia, 2023 boundaries defined by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Correspondences from SA2 2021 to PHN 2023 can be found on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s, Primary Health Networks (PHNs) collection of concordance files page (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing 2025).
- PHN groups – PHNs have been assigned into two groups: Metropolitan and Regional. PHNs classified as Remote (for the purpose of suppression) were included in the Regional PHN group.
- Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3) – 340 geographic areas covering Australia, with boundaries defined by the ABS’ Statistical Area Level 3 2021 (2021b).
- SA3 groups – SA3s have been assigned into six groups: Major cities - higher socioeconomic areas, Major cities – medium socioeconomic areas, Major cities - lower socioeconomic areas, Inner regional, Outer regional and Remote and very remote.
In 2017–18 to 2021–22, patient’s place of usual residence was recorded in the NHMD using the 2016 Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS). In 2022–23 to 2023–24, patient’s place of usual residence was recorded using the 2021 SA2 ASGS. Records prior to 2022–23 have been mapped to SA2 2021. Correspondences from SA2 2016 to SA2 2021 can be found on the ABS’ Correspondences page (ABS 2021a).
Measures calculated for geographic areas were compiled by applying a geographic concordance to the unit record data. Records were attributed to each area based on the percentage of SA2 population that fell within that respective area.
Records with missing or invalid location data are included in the national total, but not allocated to a Remoteness Area, Socio-Economic Index for Areas (SEIFA) quintile, Primary Health Network (PHN) or Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3). Additionally, due to records with missing SA2 information, the sum of counts by SA3 and PHN areas presented in this report may not sum to counts by state presented in other reports.
PHNs with at least 85% of the population residing in Major cities were classified as metropolitan, based on the ABS remoteness area classification ASGS 2021 and the population distribution as of 30 June 2021. PHNs with less than 85% of the population residing in Major cities were classified as regional.
For the purpose of suppression, PHNs with 95% of the geographic area classified as Remote or Very remote were categorised as remote. This affected three PHNs – Country WA, Northern Territory and Western Queensland. This was calculated using the square kilometres of Statistical Area Level 1s (SA1s), based on Albers Conic Equal Area projection. Results for these PHN areas were included in the regional PHN group in this publication.
See Appendix for the metropolitan or regional classification of each PHN area.
Identification of SA3s with similar socioeconomic or remoteness characteristics can help when making comparisons between areas. Results for SA3s are presented by ABS categories of remoteness and, in Major cities, also by socioeconomic groups. Results are grouped into the following categories:
- Major cities
- Higher socioeconomic areas
- Medium socioeconomic areas
- Lower socioeconomic areas
- Inner regional
- Outer regional
- Remote and very remote.
SA3s in major cities
The majority of SA3s (191 of 340) across Australia are in the Major cities (based on ASGS 2021). SA3 populations can be diverse in terms of socioeconomic groups. To better enable fair comparisons within city areas, SA3s were divided into three socioeconomic groups: higher, medium and lower using the 2021 ABS Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage (IRSD). IRSD is one of the Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) produced by the ABS and ranks SA1s from the most disadvantaged area (lowest quantile) to the least disadvantaged area (highest quantile), based on the relative socioeconomic conditions at an overall area level, not at an individual level. The socioeconomic groups were categorised into the following:
- Lower – SEIFA IRSD quintiles 1 and 2
- Medium – SEIFA IRSD quintiles 3 and 4
- Higher – SEIFA IRSD quintile 5.
SA3s in Major cities were allocated to a socioeconomic group based on the largest number of SA1s in each group. Where the number of SA1s was equal in 2 groups, the socioeconomic group was allocated based on the highest proportion of the population. This affected two SA3s – Port Phillip (Vic) and Perth City (WA).
Across all SA3s in Major cities, the population percentage in the chosen socioeconomic group ranged from 37% to 95%, using the population distribution as of 30 June 2021. This indicates that some SA3s have a broad diversity in socioeconomic disadvantage.
SA3s by remoteness
SA3 boundaries align well with the ABS remoteness classification for Major cities, Inner regional and Outer regional areas. SA3s are not as well defined between Remote and Very remote areas, so these categories were combined into a single category (Remote and very remote) for this release.
SA3s were allocated to one remoteness category based on the largest percentage of the population in each of the categories, using the population distribution as of 30 June 2021. This ranged from 50% to 100%. However, if 95% of the geographic area in an SA3 was Remote or Very remote, it was categorised based on geographic area rather than population. This affected four SA3s – Broken Hill and Far West (NSW), Outback - North and East (SA), Goldfields (WA) and Mid West (WA).
Ungrouped SA3s
In cases, where no SA1s within an SA3 had a SEIFA IRSD score, or the population in the SA3 area was too small to assign to a group, the SA3 was allocated as ‘Ungrouped’. This affected two SA3s – Illawarra Catchment Reserve (NSW) and Blue Mountains - South (NSW).
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2021a) Correspondences – Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3, ABS, Australian Government, accessed 16 January 2026.
ABS (2021b) Statistical Area Level 3 – Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3, ABS, Australian Government, accessed 16 January 2026.
ABS (2023a) Remoteness Areas – Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3, ABS, Australian Government, accessed 16 January 2026.
ABS (2023b) Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), Australia, ABS, Australian Government, accessed 16 January 2026.
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (2025) Primary Health Networks (PHNs) collection of concordance files, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Australian Government, accessed 16 January 2026.