Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) is a suite of four summary measures that have been created from 2006 Census information.

The indexes can be used to explore different aspects of socio-economic conditions by geographic areas. For each index, every geographic area in Australia is given a SEIFA score which shows how disadvantaged that area is compared with other areas in Australia.

Each index summarises a different aspect of the socio-economic conditions of people living in an area. They each summarise a different set of social and economic information. The indexes take into account a range of factors in determining socio-economic conditions.

The four indexes in SEIFA 2006 are:

• Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage: focuses primarily on disadvantage, and is derived from Census variables like low income, low educational attainment, unemployment, and dwellings without motor vehicles.

• Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage: is a continuum of advantage (high values) to disadvantage (low values), and is derived from Census variables related to both advantage and disadvantage.

• Index of Economic Resources: focuses on financial aspects of advantage and disadvantage, using Census variables relating to residents' incomes, housing expenditure and assets.

• Index of Education and Occupation: includes Census variables relating to the educational attainment, employment and vocational skills.