Vulnerable groups are populations at higher risk due to factors like age, disability, poverty, discrimination, or displacement, including children, the elderly, people with disabilities, racial/ethnic minorities, migrants/refugees, low-income individuals, the homeless, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with limited education or healthcare access. These groups face increased threats from health crises, economic hardship, exploitation, and disasters because of pre-existing barriers and societal marginalization, often experiencing compounded risks like discrimination or lack of support.
Those who are most affected are often the most vulnerable members of society. They are people living in poverty, workers, children, minority groups, indigenous peoples, migrants, among other vulnerable or susceptible groups, with highly gendered impacts.
This Module notes two vulnerable groups, women and children, though there are others, including the elderly. Some vulnerable groups, such as persons with disabilities, accrue rights under specialized international instruments.
people who are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders. people who are not native speakers of the local language. people with low levels of literacy or education. people subject to modern slavery, which involves human exploitation and control, such as forced labour, debt bondage, human trafficking, and child labour.
Individuals with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or communication barriers. Veterans. Racial and ethnic minorities. Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ)
Some common examples of vulnerable groups in society include: elderly people, people with low incomes, uninsured people, homeless people, racial or ethnic minorities, people in prison, migrant workers, pregnant women, people in the LGBTQIA community, and children.
"Vulnerable person" means:
Vulnerable groups can vary across different contexts, but some common examples include children, elderly, persons with disabilities, women and girls, ethnic and racial minorities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, immigrants and migrants, refugees and displaced persons etc.
p>As in previous years, the most disadvantaged areas in Australia at the LGA level are dominated by remote, predominantly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This unfortunately shows the level of Aboriginal disadvantage, particularly in remote parts of Australia.
No, standard Centrelink payments (like JobSeeker, Age Pension, etc.) are the same for Aboriginal and non-Indigenous Australians with identical circumstances, but Indigenous Australians have access to specific, targeted programs and extra support, like enhanced child care subsidies and dedicated services, that can provide additional financial or service benefits.
It defines vulnerability and describes four main types: physical, social, economic, and environmental.
These people include pregnant women, their unborn and newborn babies, the elderly and people whose immune systems have been weakened by illness or drugs (for example: cancer patients, organ transplant recipients, and people on drugs like cortisone).
Social Vulnerability Index
Some of these factors directly overlap with social determinants of health. They include socioeconomic status, household characteristics, racial and ethnic minority status, housing type, and transportation.
In the social realm, vulnerable populations include those living in abusive families, the homeless, immigrants, and refugees. The needs of these populations are serious, debilitating, and vital, with poor health in 1 dimension likely compounded by poor health in others.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. culturally and linguistically diverse people. people with disability or mental health concerns. people in the LGBTIQ+ community.
Agricultural labour, casual urban labour, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Vulnerable Groups
The Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme provided ex-gratia payments to Stolen Generations survivors. The reparations aimed to acknowledge historical injustices faced by Stolen Generations survivors. The amount provided to each recipient was $75,000.
South Sudan is widely considered the poorest country in the world in 2025-2026, consistently ranking first due to extremely low GDP per capita and a high percentage (over 80%) of its population living in extreme poverty, driven by prolonged civil conflict, displacement, and disruption of its agricultural economy. Other nations frequently cited as among the poorest include Burundi, the Central African Republic, and Yemen, also suffering from conflict and instability.
Vulnerable groups include but are not limited to: vulnerable adults and children(where being vulnerable is defined as in need of special care, support, or protection because of age, disability, risk of abuse or neglect)
The strands are – domestic abuse, child abuse, child sexual exploitation, adult sexual exploitation, stalking and harassment, female genital mutilation, honour based violence, forced marriage, adults at risk, management of sexual and violent offenders, serious sexual offences, modern slavery and human trafficking, and ...
These are the poor and transient poor, children, women, persons with disabilities (PWDs), indigenous peoples, overseas Filipinos (OFs) and their families, and older persons. Even non-vulnerable groups also face economic risks such as low and irregular incomes, and financial and economic crises.
The key factors that can make a person vulnerable include:
Definition English: A vulnerable group is a population that has some specific characteristics that make it at higher risk of falling into poverty than others living in areas targeted by a project.
A vulnerable person isn't someone who's emotionally fragile or constantly exposed. Instead, we define a vulnerable person as someone who is emotionally brave—someone willing to be honest about what they feel and need, even when it's hard. Vulnerable people: Know how to express their feelings without shame.