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The number of Indigenous people losing their lives while in custody in Australia has climbed to its record point since official data started in 1980.

Fresh data show that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in detention in the year ending in June were Indigenous. This represents an rise from 24 deaths in the previous equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people remain disproportionately overrepresented in the justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all prisoners, despite comprising less than four per cent of the country's population.

These concerning statistics come to light over three decades after a seminal royal commission into First Nations deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of proposed changes.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, 26 occurred while in prison custody, which is an rise from 18 in the prior year.

One death occurred in youth detention, and the vast majority of the deceased were male.

The other six deaths took place in police custody, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The primary reason of First Nations deaths was categorised as "self-harm," followed by "natural causes." The data noted that hanging was the cause in eight of the deaths.

State-by-State Breakdown

The state of New South Wales recorded the greatest number of Indigenous deaths in prison custody with nine, followed by Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory each had three deaths.

The rising number of First Nations deaths in custody in this state is a "profoundly distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner recently remarked.

In a recent statement, Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this rising trend was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths required "thorough and careful examination, respect and accountability."

Demographic Information and Expert Reaction

The average age of those who died was 45 years, and eleven of the deceased were awaiting a court sentencing.

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as reflecting a "country-wide crisis" that needs "decisive action and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has been present at several official inquiries with grieving families, said very little has improved since the 1991 royal commission that aimed to address this issue.

"It's heartbreaking to see the number of inquests I attend, the number funerals families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades after the royal commission, and the problem is getting progressively more severe," she noted.

From the time of the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 Indigenous people have lost their lives in custody, which includes six in youth detention, as per the report.