The claim
"We know that there's a greater chance of an Indigenous young male going to jail than university."
Original review summary
The review says available data broadly supports the claim, while noting there is no single dataset that permits a precise comparison. The 2021 census found that 6.3 per cent of Indigenous men aged 18–34 were in prison on census night, compared with 4.9 per cent enrolled at university.[S1]
Additional context
The review also notes that the most useful available lifetime comparison came from a survey conducted in 2014–15: 8.2 per cent of Indigenous men aged 15–34 had been to prison, but a comparable age-specific breakdown for university attendance or attainment was unavailable. [S1]
Research date:
Sources and attribution
- [S1] RMIT ABC Fact Check original review
Original review · Retrieved October 15, 2026