Indigenous Deaths in Custody Reach Unprecedented Levels in Australia

Sat Dec 20 2025 13:51:34 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Recent statistics reveal that the number of Indigenous deaths in custody in Australia has reached its highest point since 1980, prompting calls for urgent reform and accountability.

Australia faces a significant crisis as Indigenous deaths in custody have surged to their highest levels since records began, according to new data. Of the 113 deaths reported in the past year, 33 were Indigenous individuals, underlining the systemic issues within the criminal justice system that disproportionately impacts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Experts are calling for immediate political action to address the ongoing crisis.

The number of Indigenous people who have died in custody in Australia has hit the highest level since records began in 1980.

New data from the Australian Institute of Criminology showed 33 of the 113 people who died in custody in the 12 months to June this year were Indigenous, up from 24 compared to the previous corresponding period.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system, making up more than one-third of all prisoners, despite being less than four percent of the country's population.

The figures come more than three decades after a landmark inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody which made hundreds of recommendations.

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody between last July and this June, 26 died while in prison custody, an increase from 18 in the previous 12-month period. One died in youth detention and all except one were male.

The remaining six Indigenous deaths in custody happened in police custody, primarily categorized as self-inflicted and referencing various underlying health issues.

The Australian state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Indigenous deaths in prison custody with nine, followed by Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory each had three deaths.

The rising numbers have been described as a profoundly distressing milestone by the NSW state coroner, highlighting the urgent need for scrutiny and accountability in these cases.

According to experts, the statistics reflect a national crisis that persists decades after the royal commission intended to address these very issues. Since then, over 600 Indigenous individuals have died in custody.