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metropolitan areas had the highest probability (88% and 92% in 2002–2004, up from 85% and 91% in 1997–1999) (see Table 2.8). Table 2.8 Probability of Living to Age 65 Years, by Remoteness Area, 2002–2004 (Source: AIHW, 2008)

Major Cities

Inner Regional

Outer Regional

Remote

Very Remote

Males

87.5 92.3

85.6 91.4

83.6 90.5

82.5 88.6

72.5 80.6

Females

2.7 Life Expectancy for Non-Indigenous Australians by Remoteness

According to the AIHW (2015b), out of Australia’s total population in 2011 of 22,340,024, approximately 3% identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (699,881). Of this number, 233,146 resided in major cities, representing 1.0% of the total population, and 142,943 resided in remote or very remote areas, representing 0.6% of the total population. For the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population born in 2010–2012, life expectancy was estimated to be 10.6 years lower than that of the non-Indigenous population for males (69.1 years compared with 79.7) and 9.5 years lower for females (73.7 compared with 83.1) (AIHW, 2014b). 2.8 Hospital Infrastructure by Remoteness With increasing remoteness, the size and type of hospital services change. As shown in Table 2.9, the number of larger health service centres, and hence availability of specialised services embedded within hospitals, decreases with distance from metropolitan