Premature deaths - male and female, by socioeconomic status

[infogram id="_/sSgCzWH22BKL2qfQI7G8" prefix="A2h" format="interactive" title="Premature deaths - male and female by socioeconomic status"]

Changes in employment, hours and wages by percentage from March to June 2020

The spread of COVID-19 and the government-ordered lockdowns to contain it had a sudden and profound impact on employment and earnings in Australia.  [infogram id="_/5dtCRjqv5B8tiEAPsvD0" prefix="bc4" format="interactive" title="2017-18: Fig.1_covid impact on employment"] This graph shows that, in just the three months from March to May 2020, paid hours worked declined by 10% and employment fell by 6%, whilst wages paid were reduced by 8.3%. In June, there was a modest recovery in paid working hours and wages as lockdowns easied, but unemployment and underemployment continued to rise. The unemployment rate stood at 7.4% in June 2020.

Size of private rental sector, Australia, 1994-2018

[infogram id="_/kjqlXiIm4GXuVbPN7TTV" prefix="k4H" format="interactive" title="Figure 4.1 Size of private rental sector, Australia"] This graph shows that, in 2009-10, households renting from a private landlord made up around 23.7% of all households. In 2017-18, they constituted 27.1%.    

Income calculator: How does your income compare?

New report shows who is most impacted by inequality in Australia

A new report by ACOSS and UNSW Sydney shows that, pre-COVID, single people on JobSeeker, even those with some paid work, and single parents on JobSeeker, have been struggling on the lowest rung of the household income scale. Over half are in the lowest 10% of incomes nationally. Half of people on age pensions are in the lowest 20% of incomes nationally, though widespread home ownership among this group provides a significant degree of protection from poverty. The 10% of older people who rent their homes are in a much more financially distressed position. The report – Inequality in Australia 2020: Part 2, Who is Affected and Why – sets a base-line of data against which to assess the impact that COVID-19 is having on inequality in Australia. It reveals where different groups fit in the income and wealth scales, and the direct causes of inequality from the latest data available, 2017-18. Professor Carla Treloar, Director of the Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, said: “Even…

Inequality in Australia 2020, Part 2: Who is affected and why

Read the report: Inequality in Australia 2020, Part 2: Who is affected and why Where do you stand in Australia's income distribution? Find out now with our income calculator!

Poverty, Property and Place

Download Poverty, Property and Place: A geographic analysis of poverty after housing costs in Australia View the accompanying maps here: http://povertyandinequality.acoss.org.au/maps/

Poverty, Property and Place: Interactive maps

Trends in wealth inequality (Gini coefficient) by asset type

[infogram id="_/pLLmrjoss723BOzvS5ux" prefix="TF5" format="interactive" title="2017-18: Fig.20_Trends in wealth inequality (gini coefficient) by asset type from 2003-04 to 2017-18"] This graph shows how wealth inequaltiy increased from 2003 to 2009, declined slightly after the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), and resumed its growth afterwards. During the boom years from 2003 to 2009, the Gini coefficient for wealth inequality increased from 0.57 to 0.62. After the GFC it fell back to 0.59, then continued to rise to reach 0.62 in 2017. This increase in wealth inequality was mainly generated by growth in the overall value of superannuation, shares and other financial investments, and investment property - all of which were relatively concentrated in the hands of high-wealth households from the outset (though they became less concentrated over time). Conversely, the proportion of wealth held in owner-occupied housing and other non-financial assets (which were more evenly distributed in…

New research highlights risk of COVID pandemic increasing inequality

New analysis of inequality in Australia pre-COVID-19 provides a baseline against which to measure the impacts of the pandemic on income and wealth inequality. It highlights the ameliorating effects of timely Government policy responses – including increased Jobseeker and Jobkeeper payments – but warns that the long-term effect of the pandemic on income and wealth inequality will depend on how these policies evolve. Using the latest available ABS data (2017-18), the ACOSS/UNSW Sydney Poverty and Inequality Partnership Report finds that, pre-COVID, the incomes of those in the highest 20% were 6 times higher than those in the lowest 20%, with that gap widening since 2015-16 (when the ratio was 1:5). An examination of wealth data shows that, for the first time, average household wealth exceeded $1 million in 2017-18. However, the distribution of wealth in Australia was deeply unequal, with the average wealth of the top 20% ($3,255,000) some 90 times that of the lowest 20% ($36,000). Those…