Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report July 2026

Annual data report

Released 29 July 2026

This is the sixth Annual Data Compilation Report to inform reporting on progress under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. It was released on 29 July 2026.

Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report July 2026 - cover

Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report: past the halfway point

The 2026 Annual Data Compilation Report (ADCR), which tracks Australia’s performance towards the targets and indicators in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, shows that of the 19 targets, 1 has been met, 3 are on track to be met, 5 are improving but are not on track to be met and 4 are worsening.

‘The deadline for meeting most of the targets is 2031 so we are already past the halfway point. Governments will need to redouble their efforts for the promise of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap to become a reality,’ said Commissioner Selwyn Button.

‘The Agreement makes it clear that the best way to make progress is through governments acting on the 4 priority reforms: sharing decision making, building the community controlled-sector, transforming government organisations and sharing access to local data.’

‘Where governments have started sharing power with communities, progress has followed.’

The ADCR incorporates the latest data from the Closing the Gap Dashboard, which has also been updated. The 2026 ADCR includes new data for 9 socio-economic targets and 34 supporting indicators, with a further 12 supporting indicators reported for the first time.

Of the 9 targets with a new year of data, the assessment of progress has changed for 2: preschool enrolment has gone from ‘improving and on track’ to ‘met’ (as the target year for this indicator is 2025) and healthy birthweight has gone from ‘improving but not on track’ to ‘no change from the baseline’.

‘We can’t look at any of the outcomes in isolation. For example, while the target for enrolment in preschools has been met, the target for children assessed as developmentally on track is worsening nationally, with uneven progress across places and groups,’ said Commissioner Button.

‘Programs that put communities in control of providing culturally safe early childhood education and care services, like the Connected Beginnings program, are showing the way forward.’

For the first time since 2018, new data is available on the number and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait languages.

‘We now know that 177 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages are spoken or used in Australia today. While the new data cannot be used to say whether it’s trending in the right direction, the latest survey was co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to better reflect community perspectives and understandings of language. We now have a much better picture of this vital piece of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and identity,’ said Commissioner Button.

For the first time the ADCR has been able to incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-governed data.

‘Communities gaining greater control of their data is a bedrock ambition of the Agreement. This is a meaningful step in the right direction.’

The ADCR highlights that significant gaps remain in the data that’s available to assess progress.

‘We’re now past the halfway point for all the targets in the Agreement and we still lack the data we need to fully evaluate progress,’ said Commissioner Button.

‘Governments are still developing ways to measure progress towards the 4 Priority Reforms which are at the heart of the Agreement.’

‘We will be looking at these issues and more in our second inquiry into the government’s progress towards the Agreement, which we are due to commence this year.’

Key data

Target has been met	Preschool enrolment (Target 3)
Targets are improving and on track	Employment (Target 8) Land mass and sea area subject to legal rights and interests (Targets 15A and 15B)
Targets are improving but not on track	Life expectancy (Target 1) Year 12 or equivalent qualification (Target 5) Tertiary qualification (Target 6) Youth engagement in employment or education (Target 7) Appropriately sized housing (Target 9A)
Targets show no change from the baseline year	Healthy birthweight (Target 2) Youth detention (Target 11)
Targets are worsening	Children are developmentally on track (Target 4) Adult imprisonment (Target 10) Children in out-of-home care (Target 12) Suicide (Target 14)
Progress cannot be assessed	Access to essential services (Target 9B) Family violence (Target 13) Number and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages being spoken or used (Target 16) Digital inclusion (Target 17)

State and territory outcomes

While states and territories do not have formal targets, their progress contributes to national outcomes. All jurisdictions are showing improvement in at least half of the assessed targets. The Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania and the Northern Territory have the highest number of targets showing no change or worsening.

NSW – improvement for most targets assessed.
- Worsening against targets 4 (childhood development), 10 (adult imprisonment) and 11 (youth detention)
Vic – improvement for most targets assessed.
- Worsening against target 12 (children in out-of-home care)
Qld – improvement for most targets assessed.
- Worsening against targets 10 (adult imprisonment), 11 (youth detention) and 12 (children in out-of-home care)
WA – improvement for most targets assessed.
- Worsening against targets 2 (healthy birthweight), 4 (childhood development) and 10 (adult imprisonment)
SA – improvement for most targets assessed.
- Worsening against 7 (youth engagement), 10 (adult imprisonment) and 12 (children in out-of-home care)
Tas – improvement for over half of the targets assessed.
- Worsening against targets 4 (childhood development), 9A (housing) 10 (adult imprisonment) and 12 (children in out-of-home care)
ACT – improvement for about half of the targets assessed.
- Worsening against targets 4 (childhood development), 9A (housing), 10 (adult imprisonment) and 11 (youth detention)
NT – improvement for over half of the targets assessed.
- Worsening against targets 1 (female life expectancy), 4 (childhood development), 7 (youth engagement), 8 (employment), 10 (adult imprisonment), and 11 (youth detention)

The Annual Data Compilation Report is available on the Productivity Commission website at pc.gov.au/closing-the-gap-data/annual-data-report

Media requests

Media team – 02 6240 3330 / media@pc.gov.au

Background

Amanda Meric, Assistant Commissioner – 03 9653 2141 / ctg.data@pc.gov.au