About 75% of Indigenous Australians live in urban or regional Australia. Indigenous Australians make up 1% of Sydney's population, compared with 2.5% of the total population. Between 2001 and 2006, the Indigenous population (now at just over half a million) grew at double the rate of the total population, and that trend is likely to continue. Indigenous Australians are the most disadvantaged group in Australia based on multiple measures including health, education, employment, income, housing and contact with the justice system. Given the demographic profile of the Indigenous population, and the current levels of severe disadvantage experienced by many, the Federal Government has recognised critical need in areas such as early childhood development, education, housing and access to jobs.