This report, commissioned by VicHealth, presents Victoria-specific findings from Dropping off the Edge 20211 and has a particular focus on health and wellbeing inequities in Victoria.
It includes an overview of the 40 locations experiencing the most disadvantage in Victoria, as well as a more detailed analysis across all indicators. It describes how disadvantage is concentrated in particular locations, how various forms of disadvantage overlap, and how multilayered disadvantage becomes difficult to escape. Key findings included in this report show:
- Disadvantage is concentrated in a small number of communities within Victoria, with 5% of locations accounting for close to a third of the most disadvantaged rank positions across all indicators measured.
- Communities experience a complex web of disadvantage that make it challenging to improve life opportunities.
- While most disadvantage was found outside Melbourne (25 of the 40 most disadvantaged areas on the index ranking, particularly in the north-west and far east of the state), some of the most extreme disadvantage was found within the capital. Six of the 10 areas of highest disadvantage were in Melbourne, a level of disadvantage not seen in other capital cities.
- The analysis of Victoria-specific findings from Dropping off the Edge 2021 profiled in this report has shown distinct health and wellbeing inequities as shown through the strong relationship between health indicators and overall disadvantage (including the proportion of people needing assistance with core activities; proportion of people receiving a support pension; and rates of intentional self-harm death per 1,000 population).
- The qualitative findings, emerging from focus group interviews, have shed further light on what contributes to positive outcomes in particular communities, existing challenges, and what changes should be priorities for implementation.
- Multilayered and persistent disadvantage go together, whether in Melbourne or outside Melbourne. Once an area is experiencing disadvantage on multiple fronts, the challenges are more difficult to overcome. A significant number of communities have remained disadvantaged for long periods.
- Common challenges in locations experiencing multiple disadvantage in Victoria were jobless parents; low income; youth not in employment, education or training; and leaving school before Year 10.
