澳大利亚即将在8月11日进行人口普查，但第一民族（土著和托雷斯海峡岛民）的数据代表性存在重大问题。[1]根据澳大利亚统计局的估计，2021年人口普查中约有17.4%的第一民族人口被遗漏在国家数据集之外，涉及约170,800人。[1]这一漏统比例在2016年的数据中基本保持不变。[1]
除了代表不足的问题外，第一民族数据的治理机制也存在缺陷。[1]一项涵盖30个澳大利亚政府机构、大学和研究组织的研究发现，不到一半的机构对第一民族数据建立了可强制执行的保护措施，其中州政府机构的保障最为薄弱。[1]许多组织虽然使用了合作伙伴语言，但在数据使用中缺乏真正的同意机制和问责机制。[1]研究团队提出了27项土著数据治理原则，建议澳大利亚通过共同设计问卷、赋予土著组织治理权和主权、弥合数字鸿沟等方式改革人口普查数据的收集和使用方式。[1]
Australia's upcoming national census reveals critical gaps in data representation for First Nations peoples, with research highlighting systemic failures in both data collection and governance. The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated that 17.4% of the First Nations population—approximately 170,800 people—were omitted from national datasets in 2021, a figure that remained virtually unchanged from 2016 [1]. This persistent undercounting undermines the accuracy of policy-making and resource allocation affecting Indigenous communities across the country.
An analysis of data governance practices across 30 Australian government agencies, universities, and research organizations found that fewer than half have enforceable protections for First Nations data [1]. State government institutions demonstrated the weakest safeguards, while many organizations employed collaborative language in their policies without establishing corresponding consent or accountability mechanisms [1]. In response to these systemic deficiencies, a research team compiled 27 Indigenous data governance principles recommending comprehensive reform of census data collection and usage [1]. These proposals advocate for co-designed questionnaires, embedded Indigenous governance authority and sovereignty, and targeted interventions to address the digital divide [1].
