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.  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.

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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!

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…

Inequality in Australia 2020: Part 1 - Overview

Inequality in Australia 2020: Part 1, Overview Inequality in Australia 2020: Part 1, Overview. Supplementary Report - The impact of COVID-19 on income inequality Factsheet: Inequality in Australia 2020: Part 1, Overview Where do you stand in Australia's income distribution? Find out now with our income calculator!

Factsheet - Inequality in Australia 2020: Overview

Inequality in Australia 2020, Part 1: Supplementary report, the impact of COVID-19 on income inequality

Share of people with different characteristics in the lowest and highest 20% income groups

The first half of this graph shows the share of each group of people with a particular characteristic who are in the lowest 20% income group of households. Older people, single people and sole parents, and those who rely mainly on government income support payments are more likely to be in the lowest 20% income group. The most important influence on incomes is labour force status. People living in households where the household reference person is not in the labour force or is unemployed are much more likely to be in the lowest 20% income group. People living in Tasmania and South Australia are also more likely to be in lowest 20%, along with people living outside capital cities. The second half of this graph shows that those more likely to be in the highest 20% income group are of working-age and in couple households without children (noting that income is adjusted to take account of the costs of children). People employed fulltime are more likely to be in the highest 20%, along…