Profile of poverty by age (% of people in poverty)
These graphs show the the number of people living in poverty divided by age groups, by 50% and 60% median income poverty lines, in 2017-18 and 2015-16.
2017-18
The largest age group below the poverty line is those of working age (35-64 years), at 45% of all people in poverty (43% using the 60% of median income poverty line). This reflects their high share (53%) of the overall population.2015-16
The largest group below the poverty line was those of working age (25-64 years), at 48.1% of all people in poverty (43.7% using the 60% median income poverty line) reflecting their high share (53%) of the overall population.Profile of poverty among children
These graphs display the number of children living in poverty, divided by household type, by 50% and 60% median income poverty lines, for 2017-18 and 2015-16.
2017-18
This graph shows that most children in poverrty live in couple households (57.1% based on the 50% median income poverty line, and 60.7% based on the 60% median income poverty line). This is because the vast majority of children (82%) live in couple households. However, children in sole parent households are over-represented, at 41.4% and 36.1% of all children in poverty.2015-16
This graph displays the number of children living in poverty, divided into their household type. It shows that most children in poverty live in couple households (61% based on 50% of median income poverty line, and 63% based on the 60% poverty line). This is because the vast majority of children (83%) live in couple households. However, children in sole parent households are over-represented, at 38% and 34% of all children in poverty.Rate of poverty by gender (% of men and women)
This graph shows the rate of poverty among all people by gender. It shows that people identifying as female are more likely to live in households below the poverty line than those identifying as male, no matter which poverty line is used. Because this website focuses on household incomes, the gap between male and female poverty rates is much less than the gender gap in personal incomes.
2017-18: Women are more likely to live in households below the poverty line than men (14.1% for women and 13.1% for men, using the 50% median income poverty line). The poverty rate for households with a female reference person or main earner is almost twice as high (19.2% using the 50% median income poverty line) as when the main earner is male (10.2% using the 50% median income poverty line). When the 60% of median income pvoerty line is ued, the poverty rates are 28.4% and 16.5% respectively.
2015-16: This graph shows hows that women are more likely to live in households below the poverty line than men, regardless of which poverty line is used (13.4% as against 13.0% for men based on the 50% poverty line, and 21.6% as against 20.6% using the 60% poverty line).
Profile of poverty by gender
These graphs show the number of people living in poverty divided into binary gender groups according to the 50% and 60% median income poverty lines in 2015-16 and 2017-18. Because this website focuses on household incomes, the gap between male and female poverty rates is much less than the gender gap in personal incomes.
2017-18
This graph shows that a higher share of people in poverty are female – 42.9% compared with 47.1% based on the 50% of median income poverty line, or 53.4% compared with 46.6% using the 60% of median income poverty line.2015-16
This graph shows that a higher share of people in poverty were female – 51.5% compared with 48.5% based on the 50% of median income poverty line, or 51.9% compared with 48.1% using the 60% of median income poverty line.Rate of poverty by family type
This graph shows the rate of poverty for all people by family type.
2017-18: This shows that the family type with the highest rate of poverty is sole parent families – 35.2% based on the 50% of median income poverty line and 46.9% based on the 60% of median income poverty line. Single persons living alone also have relatively high poverty rates, which reflects their limited opportunity to benefit from economies of scale in living costs and reliance on a single income. When the 50% poverty line is used, single adults under 65 years have a higher rate of poverty (26.6%) than those 65 years and older (26.4%), but these rankings are reversed when the 60% poverty line is used (33.4% compared with 54.6%).
2015-16: This shows that the family type with the highest rate of poverty is sole parent families – 32% based on the 50% of median income poverty line and 43% based on the 60% of median income poverty line. Single persons living alone also have relatively high poverty rates, which reflects their limited opportunity to benefit from economies of scale in living costs and reliance on a single income. When the 50% poverty line is used, single adults under 65 years have a higher rate of poverty (26%) than those 65 years and older (18%), but these rankings are reversed when the 60% poverty line is used (35% compared with 47%).
Profile of poverty by family type (% of households in poverty)
These graphs display the number of people already living in poverty, divided into household groups by 50% median income and 60% median income poverty lines, firstly in 2017-18 and then in 2015-16.
2017-18
This shows that couple households with children, due to their larger share of the overall population, are the largest group in poverty, at 33.9% using the 50% of median income poverty line and 33.7% using the 60% of median income poverty line. Sole parent families are strongly over-represented among those in poverty, at 18% using the 50% median income poverty line and 15.5% using the 60% median income poverty line.2015-16
This shows that couple households with children, due to their larger share of the overall population, were the largest group in poverty, at 42% using the 50% of median income poverty line and 41% using the 60% of median income poverty line. Sole parent families were strongly over-represented among those in poverty, at 20% using the 50% median income poverty line and 17% using the 60% median income poverty line, compared with the 7% of all people who lived in sole parent families.Rate of poverty by main income source
This graph shows the rate of poverty in households by their main income source. It shows that households relying mainly on social security payments are approximately five times more likely to experience poverty than those relying mainly on wages and salaries.
2017-18: Those relying on social security payments represent 36% using the 50% of median income poverty line and 56% using the 60% of median income poverty line, whilst those relying mainly on wages and salary represent 7% using the 50% of median income poverty line and 12% using the 60% of median income poverty line.
2015-16: Those relying on social security payments represent 35% using the 50% of median income poverty line and 56% using the 60% of median income poverty line, whilst those relying mainly on wages and salary represent 7% using the 50% of median income poverty line and 12% using the 60% of median income poverty line.
Profile of poverty by main income source
This graph shows the profile of households in poverty by their main income source in 2017-18 and 2016-17. It shows that the largest group of households in poverty is that relying on social security.
2017-18
Households relying on social security represent 51% of households in poverty when the 50% and 60% median income poverty lines are used. The share of households living in poverty who are reliant on mainly on wages is significant, reflecting the higher share of wage-earning households overall. This group represents 38% of households in poverty using the 50% median income poverty line and 40% using the 60% of median income poverty line.2015-16
Households relying on social security represent 53% of households in poverty when the 50% median income poverty line is used and 55% when the 60% of median income poverty line. The share of households living in poverty who are reliant on mainly on wages is significant, reflecting the higher share of wage-earning households overall (38% of all households in 2015). This group represents 38% of households in poverty using the 50% median income poverty line and 49% using the 60% of median income poverty line.Rate of poverty by income support payment
This graph shows the poverty rates for people in households whose reference person receives an income support payment.
2017-18: For all payments, poverty rates average 28% based on the 50% median income poverty line and 46% based on the 60% median income poverty line. The highest poverty rates are for Newstart Allowance recipients (57% based on 50% median income poverty line and 67% based on 60% median income poverty line) and for Parenting Payment (54% based on 50% median income poverty line and 72% based on 60% median income poverty line). Poverty rates in households where the reference person receives Youth Allowance are slightly lower but still substantial (at 43% based on both the 50% and 60% median income poverty lines). 41% of people in households whose reference person receives Disability Support Pension are in poverty (55% using 60% median income poverty line), while 20% of people in households whose reference person receives Carer Payment are below the poverty line (38% when the 60% of median income poverty line is used). Among people in households whose reference person receives the Age Pension, 15% are in poverty (35% using the 60% of median income poverty line).2015-16: For all payments, poverty rates average 26% based on the 50% median income poverty line and 44% based on the 60% median income poverty line. The highest poverty rates are for Youth Allowance recipients (64% based on 50% median income poverty line and 70% based on 60% median income poverty line). These households would generally receive the “living away from home” rate of Youth Allowance, so the young person (aged up to 25 if a full-time student) would be living away from the parental home. A majority of households receiving Newstart Allowance or Parenting Payment are living in poverty. Those dependent on Newstart Allowance have a rate of 55% based on 50% median income and 67% based on 60% median income. Those dependent on Parenting Payment have a rate of 52% using 50% median income and 68% using 60% median income poverty line. More than one-third of people in households whose reference person receives Disability Support Pension is in poverty (36% using 50% median income and 56% using 50% median income poverty line), while 17% of people in households whose reference person receives Carer Payment are below the poverty line (42% when the 60% of median income poverty line is used). Among people in households whose reference person receives the Age Pension, 12% are in poverty (32% using the 60% of median income poverty line).
Profile of poverty by income support payment
These graphs show the poverty rate of households that receive income support payments.