As of August 2023, the median weekly earnings of employees in Australia were 1,300 Australian dollars. Since August 1975, the median weekly earnings of employees in Australia have increased more than ten-fold.

Wages in Australia increased to 1542.30 AUD/Week in the second quarter of 2025 from 1510.90 AUD/Week in the fourth quarter of 2024. This dataset provides - Australia Average Weekly Wages - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Key information about Australia Household Income per Capita

• Australia Annual Household Income per Capita reached 30,914.027 USD in Jun 2020, compared with the previous value of 34,767.371 USD in Jun 2018.
• Australia Annual Household Income per Capita data is updated yearly, available from Jun 1995 to Jun 2020, with an averaged value of 25,207.153 USD.
• The data reached an all-time high of 43,819.349 USD in Jun 2012 and a record low of 15,753.318 USD in Jun 2001.
• In the latest reports, Retail Sales of Australia grew 4.217 % YoY in May 2023.

CEIC calculates Annual Household Income per Capita from annual Weekly Average Household Income multiplied by 52, annual Number of Household and quarterly Total Population and converts it into USD. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides Average Household Income in local currency, Number of Household and Total Population. Federal Reserve Board average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Household Income per Capita is in annual frequency, ending in June of each year. Household Income per Capita prior to 2008 based on 2017-2018 price.

As of August 2023, the mean weekly earnings of full-time employees in Australia were 1,885.6 Australian dollars. This is an increase of 62 Australian dollars a week.

Key information about Australia Monthly Earnings

• Australia Monthly Earnings stood at 4,026 USD in Nov 2024, compared with the previous figure of 3,903 USD in May 2024
• Australia Monthly Earnings data is updated semiannually, available from May 2012 to Nov 2024, with an average number of 3,740 USD
• The data reached the an all-time high of 4,560 USD in May 2013 and a record low of 3,344 USD in Nov 2015

CEIC calculates Monthly Earnings from Average Weekly Earnings multiplied by 4 and converts it into USD. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides Average Weekly Earnings in local currency. Federal Reserve Board average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Monthly Earnings are in biannual frequency, ending in May and November of each year.


Further information about Australia Monthly Earnings

• In the latest reports, Australia Population reached 27 million people in Dec 2023
• Unemployment Rate of Australia increased to 4 % in Jan 2025
• The country's Labour Force Participation Rate dropped to 67 % in Jan 2025

In 2024, the average annual wage in Australia had reached ******* Australian dollars. Since 2000, the average wage in Australia has increased by around ****** Australian dollars. Since 2018, the average wage in Australia has remained fairly stagnant.

The house price-to-income ratio in Australia was ***** as of the first quarter of 2025. This ratio, calculated by dividing nominal house prices by nominal disposable income per head, increased from the previous quarter. The price-to-income ratio can be used to measure housing affordability in a specific area. Australia's property bubble There has been considerable debate over the past decade about whether Australia is in a property bubble or not. A property bubble refers to a sharp increase in the price of property that is disproportional to income and rental prices, followed by a decline. In Australia, rising house prices have undoubtedly been an issue for many potential homeowners, pricing them out of the market. Along with the average house price, high mortgage interest rates have exacerbated the issue. Is the homeownership dream out of reach? Housing affordability has varied across the different states and territories in Australia. In 2024, the median value of residential houses was the highest in Sydney compared to other major Australian cities, with Brisbane becoming an increasingly expensive city. Nonetheless, expected interest rate cuts in 2025, alongside the expansion of initiatives to improve Australia's dwelling stock, social housing supply, and first-time buyer accessibility to properties, may start to improve the situation. These encompass initiatives such as the Australian government's Help to Buy scheme and the Housing Australia Future Fund Facility (HAFFF) and National Housing Accord Facility (NHAF) programs.

In 2022, Sydney was listed as the second-least affordable city worldwide in terms of housing affordability, as well as the most unaffordable capital city for houses in Australia, with a median multiple house price relative to income value of ****, meaning that housing prices in Sydney were over ** times the average annual gross median household income.

Australia Household Income: Trend: Gross Disposable Income data was reported at 310,021.000 AUD mn in Mar 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 307,715.000 AUD mn for Dec 2018. Australia Household Income: Trend: Gross Disposable Income data is updated quarterly, averaging 62,425.000 AUD mn from Sep 1959 (Median) to Mar 2019, with 239 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 310,021.000 AUD mn in Mar 2019 and a record low of 3,087.000 AUD mn in Sep 1959. Australia Household Income: Trend: Gross Disposable Income data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.A288: SNA08: Household Saving Ratio and Household Income: Trend.

Disposable Personal Income in Australia increased to 427893 AUD Million in the second quarter of 2025 from 425287 AUD Million in the first quarter of 2025. This dataset provides - Australia Disposable Personal Income - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Between March 2024 and March 2025, wages in Australia declined by around 0.6 percent. Wage growth in recent years has been relatively low in comparison to previous years, in particular in December 2020, which only saw a wage growth of 1.3%. Inflation and CPI outstripping wages While wages have increased in Australia, they have still not matched the rate of inflation, which was sitting at 2.4 percent at the end of 2024, down from a high of 7.8 percent at the end of 2022. The high cost of goods has also put pressure on the public, with the Consumer Price Index standing at around 139.4 points, compared to a base year of 2011-12. Rent is on the rise As with many around the world, Australians are also feeling the costs of rent increases. The majority of people in Australia perceive that the cost of rent has risen significantly in their local area. This in turn has seen the government expenditure on rental assistance continue to be high, with around 4.7 billion Australian dollars spent to assist the Australian public in maintaining their housing needs.

As at February 2025, couples aged 25 to 34 years old in Sydney, Australia spent an average of around **** percent of their household income on mortgage repayments for an entry-priced house. In comparison, couples in the same age bracket in Darwin were spending around **** percent of their household income on mortgage repayments for a house.

Sydney had the highest median house value compared to other capital cities in Australia as of April 2025, with a value of over **** million Australian dollars. Brisbane similarly had relatively high average residential housing values, passing Canberra and Melbourne to top the pricing markets for real estate across the country alongside Sydney. Housing affordability in Australia Throughout 2024, the average price of residential dwellings remained high across Australia, with several capital cities breaking price records. Rising house prices continue to be an issue for potential homeowners, with many low- and middle-income earners priced out of the market. In the fourth quarter of 2024, Australia’s house price-to-income ratio declined slightly to ***** index points. With the share of household income spent on mortgage repayments increasing alongside the disparity in supply and demand, inflating construction costs, and low borrowing capacity, the homeownership dream has become an unattainable prospect for the average person in Australia. Does the rental market offer better prospects? Renting for prolonged periods has become inevitable for many Australians due to the country’s largely inaccessible property ladder. However, record low vacancy rates and elevated median weekly house and unit rent prices within Australia’s rental market are making renting a less appealing prospect. In financial year 2024, households in the Greater Sydney metropolitan area reported spending around ** percent of their household income on rent.

As at February 2025, couples aged 25 to 34 years old in Sydney, Australia spent an average of around **** percent of their household income on mortgage repayments for an entry-priced unit. In comparison, couples in the same age bracket in Perth were spending around **** percent of their household income on mortgage repayments for a unit.

The average price of Australian residential property has risen over the past ten years, and in December 2024, it reached 976,800 Australian dollars. Nonetheless, property experts in Australia have indicated that the country has been in a property bubble over the past decade, with some believing the market will collapse sometime in the near future. Property prices started declining in 2022; however, a gradual upward trend was witnessed throughout 2023, with minor fluctuations in 2024. Australian capital city price differences While the national average residential property price has exhibited growth, individual capital cities display diverse trends, highlighting the complexity of Australia’s property market. Sydney maintains its position as the most expensive residential property market across Australia's capital cities, with a median property value of approximately 1.19 million Australian dollars as of April 2025. Brisbane has emerged as an increasingly pricey capital city for residential property, surpassing both Canberra and Melbourne in median housing values. Notably, Perth experienced the most significant annual increase in its average residential property value, with a 10 percent increase from April 2024, despite being a comparably more affordable market. Hobart and Darwin remain the most affordable capital cities for residential properties in the country. Is the homeownership dream out of reach? The rise in property values coincides with the expansion of Australia's housing stock. In the December quarter of 2024, the number of residential dwellings reached around 11.29 million, representing an increase of about 53,200 dwellings from the previous quarter. However, this growth in housing supply does not necessarily translate to increased affordability or accessibility for many Australians. The country’s house prices remain largely disproportional to income, leaving the majority of low- and middle-income earners priced out of the market. Alongside this, elevated mortgage interest rates in recent years have made taking out a loan increasingly unappealing for many potential property owners, and the share of mortgage holders at risk of mortgage repayment stress has continued to climb.

The rent price index in Australia in the first quarter of 2025 was *****, marking an increase from the same quarter of the previous year. Rent prices had decreased in 2020; in Melbourne and Sydney, this was mainly attributed to the absence of international students during the coronavirus outbreak. The current state of the rental market in Australia The rental market in Australia has been marked by varying conditions across different regions. Among the capital cities, Sydney has long been recognized for having some of the highest average rents. As of March 2025, the average weekly rent for a house in Sydney was *** Australian dollars, which was the highest average rent across all major cities in Australia that year. Furthermore, due to factors like population growth and housing demand, regional areas have also seen noticeable increases in rental prices. For instance, households in the non-metropolitan area of New South Wales’ expenditure on rent was around ** percent of their household income in the year ending June 2024. Housing affordability in Australia Housing affordability remains a significant challenge in Australia, contributing to a trend where many individuals and families rent for prolonged periods. The underlying cause of this issue is the ongoing disparity between household wages and housing costs, especially in large cities. While renting offers several advantages, it is worth noting that the associated costs may not always align with the expectation of affordability. Approximately one-third of participants in a recent survey stated that they pay between ** and ** percent of their monthly income on rent. Recent government initiatives, such as the 2024 Help to Buy scheme, aim to make it easier for people across Australia to get onto the property ladder. Still, the multifaceted nature of Australia’s housing affordability problem requires continued efforts to strike a balance between market dynamics and the need for accessible housing options for Australians.

In the first quarter of 2025, the house price-to-rent ratio in Australia was estimated at ***, marking a decrease from the same quarter of the previous year. An indicator of how strong the property market is, the house price-to-rent ratio was calculated by dividing nominal house prices by rent price indices. Within the given period, after reaching a peak in the first quarter of 2022, the price-to-rent ratio decreased each quarter until the second quarter of 2023. From then on, the house price-to-rent ratio fluctuated, but largely trended downwards. Is Australia in a property bubble? Many industry experts believe the country is in a property bubble, indicated by the rapid increase in Australian property market prices to the point that they are no longer relative to incomes and rents, followed by a decline. The house price-to-income ratio was on an upward trend between the third quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2024. Nonetheless, after hitting its peak, it declined to ***** in the fourth quarter of 2024. Rental property demand In March 2025, the rental vacancy rate, which indicates how many properties are available for rent out of all the rental stock, was relatively high in Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney. That year, the average weekly rent prices varied across the country depending on the city, with the highest average weekly rents for houses and units in Sydney. Hobart, on the other hand, had the most affordable rental properties across Australia's capital cities.

In June 2022, it was estimated that around 7.3 percent of Australians were aged between 25 and 29, and the same applied to people aged between 30 and 34. All in all, about 55 percent of Australia’s population was aged 35 years or older as of June 2022. At the same time, the age distribution of the country also shows that the share of children under 14 years old was still higher than that of people over 65 years old. A breakdown of Australia’s population growth Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world, yet with a population of around 26 million inhabitants, it is only sparsely populated. Since the 1970s, the population growth of Australia has remained fairly constant. While there was a slight rise in the Australian death rate in 2022, the birth rate of the country decreased after a slight rise in the previous year. The fact that the birth rate is almost double the size of its death rate gives the country one of the highest natural population growth rates of any high-income country.
National distribution of the population Australia’s population is expected to surpass 28 million people by 2028. The majority of its inhabitants live in the major cities. The most populated states are New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. Together, they account for over 75 percent of the population in Australia.