The COAG Reform Council report into Indigenous performance has found the gap in Year 12 attainment since 2008 has significantly narrowed while gaps in numeracy and literacy have closed in most year groups.
But the gap between Indigenous Australians and the wider population on unemployment has widened.
The report shows the rate of unemployment is four times higher for Indigenous Australians when compared to the national average.
Greg Craven, the Deputy Chair of the COAG Reform Council, speaks with Peggy Giakoumelos about the report.
Indigenous immunisation rates for two and five-year-olds have caught up completely and targets to halve the child mortality gap are being met.
But Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda worries that planned $7 co-payments to visit the doctor could force those rates backwards if they apply to immunisations.
Indigenous leaders say the life expectancy gap is not improving quickly enough and planned budget cuts to preventative health programs that target smoking and drinking won't help.
In 2012/13, 42 per cent of indigenous people were obese compared with 27 per cent of the non-indigenous population.
Close the Gap campaign co-chair Kirstie Parker said cutting programs to prevent these health issues would come at the cost of "many more dollars" in future health expenses.
About one third of Indigenous people died from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases over the past four years, she said.
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