Is Australia racist? Indigenous youth point to a surge in discrimination

A recent study found 54 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people reporting racism last year, up from 39 per cent in 2014

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An Aboriginal child watches a dance at Ilpili in Australia’s Central Western Desert Indigenous Protected Area on March 12. Photo: AFP

Published: 3:42pm, 25 Jun 2025Updated: 3:53pm, 25 Jun 2025

Most young indigenous people in Australia view it as a racist country, according to a survey that found a “significant” surge in discrimination experienced by them in the last decade, as campaign groups urged the government to devise policies to create a harmonious society.

The study by Reconciliation Australia, an NGO promoting rapprochement between natives and non-indigenous locals, showed 54 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experienced racism last year, up from 39 per cent in 2014.

Younger First Nations people encountered higher levels of racism than other age groups, including at the hands of police, employers, taxi drivers and while seeking government services.

The indigenous communities were also subjected to physical violence, social media abuse and barred from renting a property – episodes Reconciliation Australia’s CEO Karen Mundine described as “disheartening”.

“I think probably people are more likely to report those experiences, and people have a greater understanding of what it is,” Mundine told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

The findings were released on Tuesday.

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