Almost one in four Australian children begins school developmentally vulnerable, with postcode remaining a strong predictor of educational preparedness 15 years after national monitoring began.
The 2024 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) shows 23.5% of children are developmentally vulnerable in one or more key areas – a figure virtually unchanged since the first census in 2009. Only 52.9% of children were on track across all five developmental domains measured.
The AEDC assesses five domains of early childhood development that predict long-term health, wellbeing, and academic outcomes. The 2024 results, analysed by Torrens University Australia’s Public Health Information Development Unit, point to structural inequities rather than year-to-year fluctuations in children’s abilities.
Geography continues to drive disparity. Children in very remote communities are 40% less likely to be developmentally on track than peers in major cities and are twice as likely to be vulnerable. In the Northern Territory, children in very remote areas are 63% less likely to be on track than those in Darwin.
Socioeconomic disadvantage compounds these gaps. Children in the most disadvantaged areas are 30% less likely to be on track and almost twice as likely to be developmentally vulnerable compared with those in the least disadvantaged communities.
Family circumstances also shape early development. Children whose mothers have low educational attainment face higher rates of vulnerability, particularly in metropolitan areas. Low-income, welfare-dependent households are similarly associated with developmental challenges, while financially stable families more often have children who are school-ready.
Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have improved since 2009, with the proportion developmentally on track rising from 20.4% to 33.9%. However, more than 40% remain developmentally vulnerable. Geography has a disproportionate impact, with 65.6% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in very remote areas vulnerable on one or more domains, compared with 38.9% in major cities.
Professor John Glover from the Public Health Information Development Unit said the findings required action.
“Variations in outcomes are strongly influenced by socioeconomic disadvantage, remoteness, and access to services,” he said. “While progress has been made for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, the overall picture is one of persistent inequity. These data should inform policymakers and service providers to better target support where it is most needed.”