Average weekly before-tax income from income support payments
This shows the average income support payments received by people in the different income groups in 2015-16. The average social security income is $418 per week for the lowest 20%, of which 52% is from pensions and 20% is from allowances. In contrast, just 25% of the social security income of the lowest 5% is pensions and 37% is allowances. This can be explained by the fact that allowances are paid at a much lower rate, so people who receive them are more likely to be found in the lowest 5%. The second 20% receives slightly less from income support payments than the first ($358 on average) due in part to the income-tests applying to allowances and pensions, but receives similar ‘other’ payments ($118) which mostly comprise Family Tax Benefit Part B. Households in the highest 20% income group receive only $69 per week on average in social security payments. While overall income from social security is much lower than earnings, the social security makes a substantial contribution to…
Australia’s population by age
This shows how Australia’s population is divided up by age in 2015-16. Almost two-thirds (66%) of Australia’s population are of working age (15-64 years old), followed by children under 15 years old (19%). Those aged 65 and over make up 15% of the population.
Income distribution of people in households by age
This chart shows where people of different ages are placed in the household income rankings. 2019-20: Older people and children are more likely to be in the lowest 40% while people of working age are more likely to be found in the highest 20% income group. The lowest 40% income group contained 66% of people aged 65+, and 44% of children under 15. Almost half of people of working age (between 16 - 64) were in the highest 40% income group. 2017-18: People aged 64 and over are found towards the lower end of the household income scale. 41% of all older people are in the lowest 20% income group. Adults of working-age – aged between 25-64 - are located higher up the income rankings, with 48% in the highest two income groups. Young people – aged between 15-24 - are located in the middle to upper half of the distribution (with 45% in the middle and fourth 20%). This generally reflects the income of their parents, who are likely to be in their peak wage-earning years. Children under 15…
Income distribution of people in households by gender
This graph shows where those identifying as male and female are placed in the household income rankings. Generally, the individual incomes of women are lower than those of men. In 2023, median earnings from paid work (both full- and part-time) for women were 75% of those for men, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. However, this website compares income groups based on the income of their household (assuming that incomes are equally shared within households), rather than individual incomes. As a result, income inequality between men and women can be masked; the impacts of gender inequality only become apparent when women live independently of men. 2019-20: Families with a female reference person, especially those with dependent children, were twice as likely (27%) to be in the lowest 20% income group, compared with families with children and a male reference person (13%). Among sole parent families, in which most reference people are women, 38% were in the lowest 20%…
Australia’s population by family type
The largest family type is couples with children, at 44% of all households, followed by couples without children and ‘other’ households (including sibling households, multiple family households, and share households), both at 20%. Single person households (most of whom are over 64 years) comprise 9% of the population, and sole parents, 7%.
Income distribution of people by family type
This chart shows where people in different types of families are placed in the household income rankings. Single people are much more likely to be found in the lowest 20% income group, despite the fact that when people are divided into income groups, their household incomes are already adjusted to take account of family size (that is, the incomes of larger families are adjusted downwards - or ‘equivalised’ – to reflect their need for more income to attain the same living standard). Sole parent families are likely to be in the lowest 40% by income, reflecting lower employment rates and greater caring responsibilities, as well as the relatively low levels of social security payments. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 51% of sole parents are employed compared with 73% of parents in partnered families with children. In contrast, there is a relatively high percentage of couples without children in the highest income group, likely due to higher earnings and lower financial…
Australia’s population by country of birth
This shows that 69% of the population were born in Australia, 10% in a country where mainly English is spoken, and 21% were born elsewhere (in predominantly non-English speaking countries).
Income distribution by country of birth
This chart shows the composition of each income group by country of birth. People born in non-English speaking countries (other) are more likely to live in the lowest income group. One reason for this is that they come from less-wealthy countries, and another reason is that they are less likely to be approved to settle in Australia on the basis of workforce skills. Of those who entered Australia with permanent visas from 2006 to 2016, 62% of those coming from North-west Europe had skilled visas, compared with 49% of those from South-east Asia and 14% of those from North Africa and the Middle East. For more information, see Australian Bureau of Statistics (2016): Characteristics of Recent Migrants, Australia, November 2016. (‘Recent’ refers to those settling in Australia between 2006 and 2016). Conversely, people born in Australia or other mainly English-speaking countries are more likely to live in the highest 20% income group. 2019-20 Of adults born in a major English-speaking…
Profile of each income group by family type
This graph shows the make-up of each income group by family type. 2017-18: The graph shows that 42% of people in the lowest 20% income are single, either with or without children, compared with only 8% of those in the highest 20% income group. a majority of people in the lowest 20% income group are in couple families (55%). 2015-16: The graph shows that 32% of people in the lowest 20% income group are single, either with or without children, compared with only 8% of those in the highest 20% income group. A majority of people (57%) in the lowest 20% income group are in couple families, a reflection of their greater share (64%) of the overall population.
Profile of each income group by country of birth of adults
This chart shows the profile of each income group by the country of birth of adults within that group. A clear majority of people in all income groups were born in Australia, reflecting their high proportion (69%) of the overall population. 2019-20 Almost a third of (31%) of adults in the lowest 20% of incomes were born outside Australia in a country other than a major English-speaking country. 2017-18 29% of adults in the lowest 20% income group were born outside Australia in a non English-speaking country, while 69% of those in the highest 20% income group were born in Australia. 2015-16 Among those in the lowest 20% income group, 25% were born in a non English-speaking country. In contrast, 72% of those in the highest 20% were Australian born and only 15% were from non-English speaking countries.