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The number of First Nations people dying while in custody in Australia has hit its highest point since official data began in 1980.

Recently released statistics show that 33 of the 113 individuals who died in custody in the 12-month period leading up to June were Indigenous. This represents an uptick from 24 fatalities in the previous equivalent period.

Indigenous Australian people are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. They constitute over 33% of all prisoners, despite representing less than four per cent of the country's people.

These concerning numbers come to light over three decades after a seminal royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody, which put forward hundreds of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Figures

Of the 33 Aboriginal deaths in custody recorded between last July and this June, 26 took place while in a correctional facility, which is an increase from 18 in the previous year.

A single death occurred in youth detention, and all except one of the deceased were men.

The other six fatalities took place in the custody of law enforcement, defined as when someone passes away while police are holding or attempting to detain them.

The primary reason of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-harm," followed by "illness." The report found that asphyxiation was the method in eight of the deaths.

Geographic Breakdown

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

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

In a recent statement, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan stressed that this upward trend was not "just statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful examination, dignity and accountability."

Demographic Information and Academic Reaction

The mean age of those who died was 45 years, and eleven of the individuals were awaiting a sentence.

A university associate professor, Amanda Porter, characterised the data as reflecting a "country-wide emergency" that requires "leadership and political action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended several coronial inquests with grieving families, said little has changed since the 1991 national inquiry that was established to tackle this issue.

"It's heartbreaking to witness the number of investigations I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the reality that we are 30 years past the inquiry, and the problem is getting increasingly worse," she noted.

Since the landmark inquiry, a approximately 600 First Nations people have died in detention, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, as per the findings.