CANBERRA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The life expectancy of indigenous Australians is approximately eight years lower than that of non-indigenous Australians, it has been revealed.

According to Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data released on Thursday, the life expectancy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males born between 2015 and 2017 was 71.6 years compared to 75.6 years for women.

On average, indigenous men born in that timeframe had a life expectancy 8.6 years lower than non-indigenous men while the difference between indigenous and non-indigenous women was 7.8 years.

The gap between indigenous Australians from remote and very remote areas and non-indigenous Australians was even wider at 13.8 years for men and 14 years for women.

"Life expectancy within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population varied considerably, with the lowest life expectancy experienced by those living in the more remote parts of the country," said Antony Grubb, director of demography at the ABS.

"Life expectancy at birth for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in remote and very remote areas was 65.9 years for men and 69.6 years for women, while those living in major cities had the highest life expectancy (72.1 years and 76.5 years for men and women respectively)."

Indigenous Australians living in the Northern Territory (NT), where more than a quarter of the population is indigenous, and Western Australia (WA) had the lowest life expectancy among the states and territories.

Closing the gap in life expectancy is one of the key aims of the Australian gvernment's strategy to eliminate the disadvantages faced by the indigenous population.

However, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) claimed that the initiative had failed and called for a complete overhaul.