Income distribution of people in households by labour force status of household reference person
This graph shows where people are placed in the household income rankings, according to whether their household reference person (usually the member with the highest income) is employed, unemployed or not in the paid workforce. People in households where the reference person is either not in the labour force or unemployed are concentrated in the lowest 20% income group. Of all people in households where the reference person is unemployed, 77% are in the lowest 20%, along with 59% where the reference person is of working age but outside the paid workforce, and 42% where the reference person is 65 years or over and retired. On the other hand, 29% of people in households where the reference person is employed full-time are in the highest 20%. Living in a household where the reference person is employed part-time (meaning there is unlikely to be a full-time earner in the household) is no guarantee of a good household income. Of all people in these households, only 11% are found in the…
Profile of each income group by labour force status of household reference person
This graph shows the make-up of each income group according to whether their household reference person (usually the member with the highest income) is employed, unemployed or not in the paid workforce. Household members whose reference person is unemployed form a larger share of income groups as we move down the income scale. They represent 7% of the lowest 20% income group; 10% of the lowest 10% income group, and 13% of the lowest 5% income group. This is echoed in households where the reference person is of working age and is not part of the paid workforce, which comprise 28% of the lowest 20% income group, 34% of the lowest 10% income group, and 35% of the lowest 5% income group. The lowest 20% income group mainly comprises households where the reference person is out of the paid workforce: 30% where the reference person is over 64 and 28% where they are of working age. Another 20% are employed full-time, 16% are employed part-time, and the remaining 7% are unemployed. In…
Australia’s population by main source of household income
This graph shows the main sources of household income in Australia. 2017-18: The main source of household income is wages and salaries, at 75%. Of the remainder, 8% are social security payments, 5% self employed and 12% from other sources (mainly investments). 2015-16: For most people in Australia, the main source of household income is wages and salaries, at 69%. Of the remainder, 18% are in households relying mainly on social security payments, 5% on income from self-employment and 8% from other sources (mainly investments).
Income distribution of people in households by main income source
This graph shows where people are placed in the household income rankings, according to their household’s main source of income in 2015-16 and 2017-18. Social security payments include pensions, allowances and family payments. 2017-18: The graph shows that the highest 20% income group receives two-thirds of all investment income and a substantial share of own-business income and wages (48% and 44% respectively). At the other end of the scale, the lowest 20% receives over a third of all social security income (38%). 2015-16: The graph shows that 65% of people in households that mainly rely on social security payments are concentrated in the lowest 20% income group. In contrast, people in households relying mainly on wages or salaries are more likely to be found at the higher end of the distribution (with 51% in the highest 40% income group). Households whose main income is from an unincorporated business are more likely (27%) to belong to the lowest 20% income group. It should be…
Profile of each income group by main source of household income
This graph shows the make-up of each income group according to their household’s main source of income. The majority (60%) of people in the lowest 20% income group live in households where the main income is social security payments. However, 40% of people in that income group live in households relying mainly on other income sources, including wages (26%), own business income (6%) and ‘other income’, mainly investments (8%). Towards the higher end of the income scale, 87% of those in the highest 20% income group are in households relying mainly on earnings, and none are in households relying mainly on social security. However, even higher up the scale an increasing share of people live in households rely mainly on investment income – from 9% of the highest 20% income group, to 14% of the highest 10% income group, and 17% of the highest 5% income group.
Profile of each household income group by income support status
Unlike most other graphs in this website, this one is limited to the 21% of people (including children) living in households where the reference person (usually the highest income-earner) receives an income support payment. Its purpose is to compare the types of income support payments received in low, middle and high household income groups. Among people towards the lower end of the income scale, there is an increasing proportion of households where the reference person receives Newstart Allowance People in households whose reference person receives Newstart Allowance comprise 16% of the lowest 20% income group; 30% of the lowest 10% income group; and 47% of the lowest 5% income group. The reasons for the greater concentration of people in households receiving Newstart Allowance in the lowest income groups are that Newstart is the lowest, and most strictly income-tested, of these income support payments. On the other hand, a slight majority (51%) of people in the lowest 20% income…
Australia’s population by gender
Those identifying as female comprise 51% of the population, while those identifying as male comprise 49% of the population.
Trends in average weekly after tax income
This shows how average household incomes grew in ‘real terms’ (after inflation) for the lowest, middle and highest 20% income groups in Australia, as well as the highest 5%. It shows that income growth was very uneven during the boom from 2000 to 2008. The average income of the lowest 20% grew by 5.6% per year in real terms, compared with 5.9% for the middle 20%, 7.2% for the highest 20%, and 10.3% for the highest 5%. After the GFC, from 2008 to 2016, household incomes grew much more slowly and less unequally. The average household incomes of the lowest 20% grew by 2.5% per year (aided by a large pension increase in 2009), compared with 0.3% for the middle 20%, 0.8% for the highest 20%, and a decline of 0.6% for the highest 5% (likely due to falls in returns from investments.
