Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults make up 37% of Australia's adult prison population while comprising 3.2% of Australia's general population.
NOT BSTOTAL BS
HARDLY BS — Verdict: Mostly True
Verified by Lenz ·
The Short Version
The quoted figures are supported by official Australian statistics, but they are not the only valid way to measure the comparison. The 37% figure matches ABS prison data for 2025. The 3.2% figure is the 2021 Census share of the total population, while ABS also publishes a higher estimated resident population share of about 3.8%, so the claim is accurate as stated but somewhat selective.
Caveats
The 3.2% figure is a 2021 Census count, not the ABS estimated resident population measure; ABS also reports about 3.8% under that method.
The comparison mixes a 2025 prison figure with a 2021 population benchmark.
The claim compares an adult prison share with the general population share, not the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander share of the adult population specifically.