Percentage of all people in poverty from 1999 - 2023

This figure shows the percentage of all people in poverty from 1999-00 to 2022-23. It shows how the rate of poverty declined from 13.4% in 2017-19 to 12.1% in 2019-20, then rose to 12.4% in 2020-21, and even further to 14.1% in 2021-22. The poverty line used is 50% of median income, taking account of housing costs. The lower (dark blue) line shows poverty rates measured using the pre-2007 ABS income definition, while the higher (red) line is based on the post 2007 income definition; the data shown is from the ABS Survey of Income and Housing. The light blue line shows poverty as measured using the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey from the Melbourne Institute.'  

One in eight people in Australia are living in poverty

One in eight people in Australia, including one in six children are living in poverty, a new report released on the eve of Anti-Poverty Week has found, as cost of living pressures continue to put households under strain. As many as 13.4 per cent of the population (or 3.3 million people) and 16.6 per cent of children (or 761,000 kids) were living below the poverty line in the first year of the pandemic (2019-20), according to the Poverty In Australia 2022 report by the Australian Council of Social Service and UNSW Sydney, using the latest available data from the ABS. The study also revealed people in poverty are falling further behind the rest of society, with their average weekly incomes dropping to $304 below the poverty line. The report found that temporary income supports introduced during COVID lockdowns in 2020 – the Coronavirus Supplement and Economic Support Payment - pulled 646,000 people, including 245,000 children, above the poverty line. Those new supports almost doubled…

Poverty rates in OECD countries

[infogram id="_/Xd48aJpgkLnpVZZcd60A" prefix="8ng" format="interactive" title="Copy: Poverty rates in OECD countries in 2016 (% of people)"] Although the Organisation for Economic and Social Development (OECD) uses the  50% median income poverty line, differences in research methodology mean that the results are close to but not identical to those reported in this website for Australia. 2021 or latest data This graph shows poverty rates among the Organisation for Economic and Social Development (OECD) countries in 2021 (or latest data), using the 50% median income poverty line. The OECD’s estimate for the overall rate of poverty in Australia according to this graph is 12.6% (compared with our estimate for 2019-20 of 13.4%). This makes Australia’s poverty rate the 15th highest among the 38 OECD countries. 2017-18 This graph shows poverty rates among the Organisation for Economic and Social Development (OECD) countries in 2016, using the 50% median income poverty line. The OECD’s…

Percentage of people receiving JobKeeper and COVID Supplements by household income groups

This figure shows shows how COVID income support payments were distributed among households ranked by income in 2020. JobKeeper Payment mainly lifted the incomes of middle income-households at risk of losing their jobs, and Coronavirus Supplement lifted the incomes of low-income households on income support payments. Towards the end of the recession in September 2020: * Around three quarters (76%) of JobKeeper Payments went to the middle 60%; * A similar proportion of the Coronavirus Supplement (70%) went to the lowest 40%. * The highest 20% received just 19% of the value of JobKeeper Payment and 6% of that of Coronavirus Supplement.

Internet searches for food assistance from October 2019 to September 2021

[infogram id="_/5if5bxex3dtdcECUonnF" prefix="mcJ" format="interactive" title="Figure 13_Internet searches, Australia"] This graph shows trends in internet searches for food relief from before the COVID recession in October 2019 to September 2021: It shows similar peaks in searches for food relief at the start of the national lockdown in March 2020 and those in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra in August 2021, which were experiencing lockdowns at the time. Significantly, demand fell between March and July 2020 as COVID income supports were introduced, and gradually rose through 2021 after they were removed.

Poverty among JobSeeker recipients with and without COVID income supports (% of all people in poverty)

[infogram id="_/d9m5XpstgFSL136m2uMH" prefix="mcM" format="interactive" title="Figure 9_poverty among JobSeeker recipients, with and without COVID income supports"] This graph shows that poverty among people on working age income support payments fell sharply in the recession. It shows that poverty among people in households on Jobseeker Payment fell by four-fifths, from 76% in 2019 to 15% in June 2020.

Poverty with and without COVID income supports

These graphs show the number and rate of people in poverty during the COVID recession and early stages of the recovery up to January 2021. They use the 50% of equivalent disposable household income, and the results have been adjusted to take account of housing costs, and shows the difference that the COVID income support payments (mainly Coronavirus Supplement and JobKeeper Payment) made to the number and rate of people in poverty. [infogram id="_/Qja04e8lBmpSwzbuh2jz" prefix="aPU" format="interactive" title="Figure 8a_Poverty with and without COVID income supports"] [infogram id="_/YuchlEUUjUwQrtYMpoCa" prefix="Twy" format="interactive" title="Figure 8b_poverty with and without COVID income supports (number of people)"] The graphs show that: * In June 2020, 9.9% of people were below the poverty line, compared with 11.8% in 2019 and 22.7% who would have been in poverty in June 2020 without the new income supports (Figure 8a). * An estimated 2,613,000 people were in poverty in June…

Financial stress among social security recipients and all people (2020)

This graph shows trends in key financial stress indicators. From September 2019 to December 2020: * The proportion of people on social security unable to pay their rent or mortgage on time fell from 18% to 4%, while the proportion of the overall population fell from 10% to 4% (aided by rent and mortgage amnesties); * The proportion of people on social security seeking emergency relief fell from 14% to 9% while the proportion of the overall population fell from 11% to 5%.

NAB financial stress index, 2014 to June 2021

[infogram id="_/7LbMYbStRHUZDOoryk8t" prefix="dOb" format="interactive" title="Figure 12_NAB financial stress index"] This graphs shows trends in the NAB financial stress index from 2014 to the June quarter of 2021. This measure of financial stress fell sharply in the second quarter of 2020, despite the recession. It then rose sharply in the first two quarters of 2021 among people on low incomes as COVID income supports were reduced and then removed.

Financial stress in recession and recovery (2020)

This graph compares financial stress indicators among people whose main income was social security and the overall population, before and shortly after the COVID recession. There were significant reductions in financial stress over this period. Between September 2019 and December 2020: * The proportion of people reporting the most severe financial stress (three or more indicators) fell from 23% to 18% among those on social security payments and from 13% to 11% among the overall population. * The proportion with no stress indicators rose from 51% to 54% among those on social security payments and from 66% to 68% among the overall population.