A new report shows life for Australia's indigenous people has worsened in several key areas over the last decade.

The annual survey by the government's Productivity Commission found conditions had declined in such areas as child abuse and prison rates

The report says for every 1,000 Aboriginal children, 37 were abused last year, a sharp rise from the rate of 15 per 1,000 children in 2000.

Imprisonment has also soared among the indigenous Australians, who are 14 times more likely to be jailed than other Australians. The prison rate jumped by 59 percent among Aboriginal women over the last decade, and 35 percent among Aboriginal men.

The report says young Aborigines are 23 times more likely to be incarcerated compared to their non-Aboriginal peers, but that figure has declined in recent years.

The Productivity Commission did find improvement for indigenous Australians in such areas as education, home ownership and employment.