In addition to providing the basis from which population estimates and projections are developed, the Census provides a variety of useful information about the Indigenous population. The Census is also one of the few collections that provides information for small areas.

However, the usefulness of the Census for monitoring the health and welfare of the Indigenous population is limited because new data are only available every five years, and because it does not collect the broad range of health data required.

The following slides show some information from the 1996 Census.