Among families, sole parents faced the highest level of deprivation, almost 35 per cent above the national average and higher than the average experienced by Indigenous Australians and those with an ongoing disability.
The biggest jump in deprivation close to 24 per cent was experienced by the unemployed, while the deprivation gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians narrowed slightly.
The study found no evidence of a decline in levels of social exclusion over the period.
More than three-quarters of respondents experienced five or more forms of social exclusion ranging from a lack of participation in social and community activities, lack of access to key services and restricted access to economic resources.
Prof.Saunders felt that the findings could have an impact on policy development under the Federal Governments social inclusion agenda, which identifies social inclusion as a first-order issue.
Source-Medindia
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