A disproportionately high number of young Indigenous children are more likely to miss out on vital early childhood services due to not having birth certificates, a new study from UNICEF Australia has found.

The research published Tuesday found 17 per cent of First Nations births are not being registered within one year.

The study looked at the period 2017-2002, finding that on average 12,600 Australian children may be missing out on early childhood education and care because they do not have a birth certificate.

The 'Certify Hope: Rights from the Start' report is the first-time unregistered births have been measured and analysed nationally. The data indicates some young children could be missing out on the foundations of early development because their births are not registered in time.

UNICEF Australia's Head of Policy and Advocacy Katie Maskiell told National Indigenous Times Indigenous birth certificates help children access key services early in life.

"We want them to have their births registered, and to have birth certificates so they can access all of these services where are really important for their development and allow them to grow and thrive. Early learning is definitely one of those things," she said.

"We know from the latest Closing the Gap data that early childhood development for First Nations children is not on track, so we see having a birth certificate as critical for these children to access early childhood education and care. They can't do it without a birth certificate, which is the case for school as well.

"These are critical years for children; zero to five years. We know early childhood education and care can be a real game changer for children, especially children experiencing disadvantage; helping to close the gap before they start school, so they start school at the same level as their peers."

Ms Maskiell said the data is "very helpful".

"We have never had it before. The data shows us what can be done to fix the situation in Australia," she told National Indigenous Times.

"The report which is out today is a road map for government on the steps they can take to advance children's birth registration."

UNICEF Australia is calling on the federal government to ensure the birth registration of every child in Australia, including asking the government to collaborate with state and territory authorities to make birth certificates more affordable, and ensure there are adequate supports for parents to fulfill the birth registration requirements, which is important for families who may already be under strain.

Birth certificates cost between $50-$70 per child depending on the State or Territory in which they are registered, UNICEF noted, and the requirements for registration sometimes cause difficulty for parents who are separated, who do not hold enough identification themselves, and for informal kinship guardians.

UNICEF also said the fee for birth certificates is especially hard for those already struggling with the cost of living while trying to support and feed a young family. The expense of a birth certificate can be out of reach due to cost, but becomes an ongoing difficulty as the children grow and need a birth certificate to fully participate in society.

Over the past 18 months, UNICEF Australia has been speaking with families impacted by this issue, with its partner Pathfinders at National Aboriginal Birth Certificate Program events where people can seek assistance to access their birth certificate.