A recent report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) highlights significant health disparities experienced by survivors of the Stolen Generations and their descendants compared to other Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The report, released on September 8, 2026, was commissioned by the Healing Foundation, an advocacy organization supporting Stolen Generations survivors and their families.
The Stolen Generations refers to tens of thousands of Indigenous Australian children forcibly removed from their families under government assimilation policies implemented from approximately 1910 to the 1970s. During this period, many children were placed in institutions or fostered and adopted by non-Indigenous families, often enduring harsh treatment and abuse. It is estimated that between one in ten and one in three Indigenous children were subjected to forced removal during these decades.
Drawing on survey data collected in 2022 and 2023, the report examines the health and socioeconomic outcomes of members of the Stolen Generations, all now aged 50 or older, as well as their descendants. Approximately 200,000 Indigenous Australians over the age of 18—around 45% of the adult Indigenous population—have a close relative who was removed from their family during the assimilation era.
The findings reveal that Stolen Generations survivors face disproportionately severe health challenges. They are 2.7 times more likely to live with severe or profound disability compared with other Indigenous Australians and 1.7 times more likely to have been hospitalized in the past year, even after accounting for demographic and geographic factors. When compared with non-Indigenous Australians, survivors are six times more likely to suffer from kidney disease, nearly five times more likely to have severe disability, and almost four times more likely to experience high psychological distress.
The report also details socioeconomic hardships among survivors, noting they are less able to meet unexpected emergency expenses and often go without essential needs. These conditions contribute to heightened psychological distress; survivors are almost twice as likely as other Indigenous people to report high levels of distress and 1.6 times more likely to have a diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition. Their descendants also face increased mental health challenges, being 1.3 times more likely to report both psychological distress and mental health diagnoses.
Dr. Martin Edvardsson, acting head of First Nations health at AIHW, emphasized the importance of these findings while noting the challenges ahead. As the survivor population ages and diminishes, collecting comprehensive data on their health and wellbeing will become increasingly difficult.
Leonie Williamson, deputy CEO of the Healing Foundation and a Gubbi Gubbi and Butchulla woman, underscored the long-lasting effects of the forced removal policies. She pointed out that only a small fraction of the recommendations from the 1997 Bringing Them Home inquiry have been fully implemented. Williamson called for trauma-informed and holistic support programs tailored to survivors and their descendants, describing such efforts as critical to improving outcomes for the broader Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The report’s release serves as a reminder of the enduring legacy of past government policies and the ongoing need for targeted assistance to address the resulting health and social inequities. Support services for Indigenous Australians remain available through helplines including 13YARN (13 92 76), Lifeline (13 11 14), Mensline (1300 789 978), and Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636).