On any night, more than half of the 10-17 year olds in juvenile correctional detention in Australia are Indigenous, despite making up just 5.5 per cent of the population in that age category.

More than half of young Australians in juvenile detention facilities identify Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples, according to a report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare released yesterday. 

In the June 2014 quarter, during an average night, 59 per cent of the 738 inmates aged 10-17 in detention (434 people) were Indigenous.

The representation of Indigenous youth in correctional detention is in contrast to the latest population estimates for June 2014, with just about 5.5 per cent of Australians in the 10-17 year old age group estimated to be Indigenous.