In the 2018 financial year, the 90th percentile in Australia had a household net worth reaching about 2.93 million Australian dollars. By comparison the 10th percentile had a household net worth of 31,400 Australian dollars.

A multi-millionaire is defined as someone owning ** million U.S. dollars or more. It was forecasted that there would be almost ** thousand individuals in Australia defined as multi-millionaires by 2026. This is in line with the country’s growing economy over the years as well as the growing wealth inequality that was becoming a cause for concern in the island nation.

Distribution of the wealthy

As a rich country with plenty of natural resources and a high Human Development Index, Australia had always had a large number of high net-worth individuals or HNWIs. There were over *** thousand millionaires including a couple dozen of billionaires, with these figures expected to grow significantly over the next few years.

Income inequality

Despite the increase of wealth and economic growth, there was a concern at the level of poverty and homelessness due to the rising wealth inequality nationally. The number of homeless people living in Australia had only been increasing with more than a hundred thousand people currently without shelter. Furthermore, most of the wealth was being pushed from the country to the cities, affecting the livelihood of those living in the countryside or outback.

** percent of Australians were in the wealth range between 100,000 and *********** U.S. dollars in 2020. Just *** percent of Australian adults had wealth of over *********** U.S. dollars, which was slightly less than the share of people who had under 10,000 U.S. dollars in wealth.

Wealth distribution in the Asia-Pacific

In 2020, China had the highest number of millionaires, followed by Japan and Australia. The number of millionaires in Australia was forecasted to increase from *** million to ************* by 2025. According to a source, among the Asia-Pacific countries, Australia ranked second in the share of wealth per adult. The source had revealed the wealth per adult in Australia was more than *** thousand U.S. dollars in 2020.

LGBTQ community of Australia

In 2020, a survey of working adults in Australia revealed that LGBTQ adults were employed in public services and the law enforcement across the country. On the one hand, more than ** percent of LGBTQ individuals had a role as as a team member, above ** percent of respondents answered that they were either team leader or supervisor.

Australia Percentage of Households: One Family: Other: Source of Income: Wages And Salaries data was reported at 71.700 % in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 68.600 % for 2018. Australia Percentage of Households: One Family: Other: Source of Income: Wages And Salaries data is updated yearly, averaging 72.150 % from Jun 2003 (Median) to 2020, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 79.500 % in 2003 and a record low of 68.600 % in 2018. Australia Percentage of Households: One Family: Other: Source of Income: Wages And Salaries 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.H040: Survey of Income and Housing: Percentage of Households: by Source of Income.

Percentage of Households: One Family: Couple: Source of Income: Zero or Negative Income data was reported at 0.700 % in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.500 % for 2018. Percentage of Households: One Family: Couple: Source of Income: Zero or Negative Income data is updated yearly, averaging 0.450 % from Jun 2003 (Median) to 2020, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.800 % in 2003 and a record low of 0.400 % in 2016. Percentage of Households: One Family: Couple: Source of Income: Zero or Negative 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.H040: Survey of Income and Housing: Percentage of Households: by Source of Income.

In 2022, the wealthiest top one percent of Australians held *** percent of the national income. The bottom ** percent of Australians had **** percent of the national income.

In 2024, Switzerland led the ranking of countries with the highest average wealth per adult, with approximately ******* U.S. dollars per person. The United States was ranked second with an average wealth of around ******* U.S. dollars per adult, followed by Hong Kong SAR. However, the figures do not show the actual distribution of wealth. The Gini index shows wealth disparities in countries worldwide. Does wealth guarantee a longer life? As the adage goes, “money can’t buy you happiness,” yet wealth and income are continuously correlated to the quality of life of individuals in different countries around the world. While greater levels of wealth may not guarantee a higher quality of life, it certainly increases an individual’s chances of having a longer one. Although they do not show the whole picture, life expectancy at birth is higher in the wealthier world regions. Does money bring happiness? A number of the world’s happiest nations also feature in the list of those countries for which average income was highest. Finland, however, which was the happiest country worldwide in 2022, is missing from the list of the top twenty countries with the highest wealth per adult. As such, the explanation for this may be the fact that a larger proportion of the population has access to a high-income relative to global levels. Measures of quality of life Criticism of the use of income or wealth as a proxy for quality of life led to the creation of the United Nations’ Human Development Index. Although income is included within the index, it also has other factors taken into account, such as health and education. As such, the countries with the highest human development index can be correlated to those with the highest income levels. That said, none of the above measures seek to assess the physical and mental environmental impact of a high quality of life sourced through high incomes. The happy planet index demonstrates that the inclusion of experienced well-being and ecological footprint in place of income and other proxies for quality of life results in many of the world’s materially poorer nations being included in the happiest.

Percentage of Households: One Family: Other: Source of Income: Other Income data was reported at 7.400 % in 2020. This stayed constant from the previous number of 7.400 % for 2018. Percentage of Households: One Family: Other: Source of Income: Other Income data is updated yearly, averaging 6.400 % from Jun 2003 (Median) to 2020, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8.200 % in 2016 and a record low of 3.300 % in 2003. Percentage of Households: One Family: Other: Source of Income: Other 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.H040: Survey of Income and Housing: Percentage of Households: by Source of Income.

Australia Household Net Worth: 2011-12p: Mean: One Family: Couple with Dependent Children data was reported at 833,022.000 AUD in 2012. This records an increase from the previous number of 826,804.000 AUD for 2010. Australia Household Net Worth: 2011-12p: Mean: One Family: Couple with Dependent Children data is updated yearly, averaging 747,056.500 AUD from Jun 2004 (Median) to 2012, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 833,022.000 AUD in 2012 and a record low of 517,074.000 AUD in 2004. Australia Household Net Worth: 2011-12p: Mean: One Family: Couple with Dependent Children 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.H032: Survey of Income and Housing: Household Net Worth: by Family Composition.

Australia Percentage of Households: One Family: Other: Source of Income data was reported at 100.000 % in 2020. This stayed constant from the previous number of 100.000 % for 2018. Australia Percentage of Households: One Family: Other: Source of Income data is updated yearly, averaging 100.000 % from Jun 2003 (Median) to 2020, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 100.000 % in 2020 and a record low of 100.000 % in 2020. Australia Percentage of Households: One Family: Other: Source of 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.H040: Survey of Income and Housing: Percentage of Households: by Source of Income.

Updated data for the Australian Government’s Income Management (IM) program will be available on the third Thursday of every month. The data summary will include: \r \r Table 1. Number of IM participants by location and measure \r \r 1.1 Northern Territory\r \r 1.2 Western Australia\r \r 1.3 Queensland \r \r 1.4 South Australia\r \r 1.5 Victoria \r \r 1.6 New South Wales\r \r \r Table 2. Number of IM participants with an active BasicsCard by State/Territory \r \r Table 3. Number of IM exemptions by Indigenous Indicator \r \r The data provided will be the last weekly data update for the previous month. \r \r Legislation \r \r Legislation for IM is located here in the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999.\r \r The Guide to Social Policy Law for IM is located here.\r \r \r Information about IM \r \r More information about Income Management is located here on the Department of Human Services web site.\r \r \r Locations\r \r The places that have IM, by State and Territory, is located here on the Department of Human Services web site. \r \r \r Data Confidentialisation Policy \r \r Table cells are suppressed where the count refers to less than five, but more than zero, people. The method is: \r \r * Cells with counts between one (1) and four (4) are presented as <5. \r * Cells with counts between one (1) and four (4) are presented as <5.\r * Cells with a count of zero (0) are not suppressed. \r * Where suppression has been applied and it is still possible to derive the cell value from other information in the table, the total/s or the next lowest aggregate cells are suppressed and presented with ‘n.p.’ (not provided). \r \r Data Caveats\r \r 1. Any variance from data reported prior to 28 August 2015 is due to a change to conform to the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS). \r 2. Inconsistencies may be attributed to participants moving from the location where they were originally triggered onto the program. \r 3. Participants with ‘Unknown’ locations did not have a recorded address at the time of data extraction. This often occurs because a participant is in the process of moving address. \r 4. ‘Uncategorised CIM’ customers are instances where a customer was assessed for Income Management but was never switched ON and assigned a Category Code. \r 5. ‘Greater Brisbane’ includes ‘Logan’. \r 6. ‘Far North’ includes ‘Cape York’. \r 7. For ‘Current Income Management Exemptions by Indigenous Indicator’, automatic exemptions for <25% of Max Payment is not included.

The 1991 Census Basic Community profiles present 57 tables containing summary characteristics of persons and/or dwellings for Local Government Areas (LGA) in Australia. This table contains data …Show full descriptionThe 1991 Census Basic Community profiles present 57 tables containing summary characteristics of persons and/or dwellings for Local Government Areas (LGA) in Australia. This table contains data relating to annual household income. Counts are of all classifiable households, excludes those dwellings which were temporarily unoccupied at the time of the census but the collector had ascertained that it was normally occupied, or the household contained only persons under 15 years of age. Counts are based on place of enumeration on census night which; includes overseas visitors; excludes Australians overseas; and excludes adjustment for under-enumeration. The data is by LGA 1991 boundaries. Periodicity: 5-Yearly. This data is ABS data (cat. no. 2101.0 & original geographic boundary cat. no. 1261.0.30.001) used with permission from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The tabular data was processed and supplied to AURIN by the Australian Data Archives. The cleaned, high resolution 1991 geographic boundaries are available from data.gov.au. For more information please refer to the 1991 Census Dictionary. Please note: (b) Comprises households where at least one, but not all, member(s) aged 15 years or more did not state an income and/or at least one spouse, offspring, or co-tenant was temporarily absent. (c) Comprises households where no members present stated an income. Copyright attribution: Government of the Commonwealth of Australia - Australian Bureau of Statistics, (1991): ; accessed from AURIN on 12/3/2020. Licence type: Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia (CC BY 2.5 AU)

The 1991 Census Expanded Community Profiles present 44 tables comprising more detailed information than that of the basic community profiles which provide characteristics of persons and/or dwellings for Statistical Local Areas (SLA) in Australia.

This table contains data relating to annual household income by monthly housing loan repayment. Counts are of occupied private dwellings which are being purchased (excludes caravans etc in caravan parks and not classifiable households), based on place of enumeration on census night which; includes overseas visitors; excludes Australians overseas; and excludes adjustment for under-enumeration. The data is by SLA 1991 boundaries. Periodicity: 5-Yearly.

This data is ABS data (cat. no. 2101.0 & original geographic boundary cat. no. 1261.0.30.001) used with permission from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The tabular data was processed and supplied to AURIN by the Australian Data Archives. The cleaned, high resolution 1991 geographic boundaries are available from data.gov.au.

For more information please refer to the 1991 Census Dictionary.

Please note:

• (a) Not classifiable households are those dwellings which were temporarily unoccupied at the time of the census, but the collector had ascertained that it was normally occupied or the household contained only persons under 15 years of age.

• (b) Comprises households where at least one, but not all, member(s) aged 15 years or more did not state an income and/or at least one spouse, offspring, or co-tenant was temporarily absent.

• (c) Comprises households where no members present stated an income.

According to Forbes Asia's *** Best Under a Billion 2024 list, the net income of Australian-based CAR Group reached approximately *** million U.S. dollars in fiscal year 2023. This was the highest net income for an Australian company with revenue under one billion U.S. dollars.

Australia Household Net Worth: 2011-12p: Mean: One Family: Couple data was reported at 941,808.000 AUD in 2012. This records a decrease from the previous number of 982,905.000 AUD for 2010. Australia Household Net Worth: 2011-12p: Mean: One Family: Couple data is updated yearly, averaging 835,635.500 AUD from Jun 2004 (Median) to 2012, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 982,905.000 AUD in 2010 and a record low of 639,544.000 AUD in 2004. Australia Household Net Worth: 2011-12p: Mean: One Family: Couple 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.H032: Survey of Income and Housing: Household Net Worth: by Family Composition.

The 1991 Census Basic Community profiles present 57 tables containing summary characteristics of persons and/or dwellings for Local Government Areas (LGA) in Australia. This table contains data …Show full descriptionThe 1991 Census Basic Community profiles present 57 tables containing summary characteristics of persons and/or dwellings for Local Government Areas (LGA) in Australia. This table contains data relating to annual family income. Counts are of all families, based on place of enumeration on census night which; includes overseas visitors; excludes Australians overseas; and excludes adjustment for under-enumeration. The data is by LGA 1991 boundaries. Periodicity: 5-Yearly. This data is ABS data (cat. no. 2101.0 & original geographic boundary cat. no. 1261.0.30.001) used with permission from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The tabular data was processed and supplied to AURIN by the Australian Data Archives. The cleaned, high resolution 1991 geographic boundaries are available from data.gov.au. For more information please refer to the 1991 Census Dictionary. Please note: (a) Comprises families where at least one, but not all, member(s) aged 15 years or more did not state an income and/or at least one spouse or offspring was temporarily absent. (b) Comprises families where no members present stated an income. Copyright attribution: Government of the Commonwealth of Australia - Australian Bureau of Statistics, (1991): ; accessed from AURIN on 12/3/2020. Licence type: Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia (CC BY 2.5 AU)

The most common poverty measures, including that used by the OECD, focus on income based approaches. One of the most common measures of income poverty is the proportion of households with income less than half median equivalised disposable household income (which is set as the poverty line); this is a relative income poverty measure as poverty is measured by reference to the income of others rather than in some absolute sense. Australia has one of the highest household disposable incomes in the world, which means that an Australian relative income poverty line is set at a high level of income compared to most other countries.

OECD statistics on Australian poverty 2015-16 (based on ABS Survey of Income and Housing data and applying a poverty line of 50% of median income) determined the Australian poverty rate was over 25% before taxes and transfers, but falls around 12% after taxes and transfers. Though measuring poverty through application of solely an income measure is not considered comprehensive for an Australian context, however, it does demonstrate that the Australian welfare system more than halves the number of Australians that would otherwise be considered as at risk of living in poverty under that measure.
It is important to consider a range of indicators of persistent disadvantage to understand poverty and hardship and its multidimensional nature. Different indicators point to different dimensions of poverty. While transient poverty is a problem, the experience of persistent poverty is of deeper concern, particularly where families experience intergenerational disadvantage and long-term welfare reliance. HILDA data from the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research shows the Distribution of number of years in poverty 2001–2015. The figure focuses on the longer term experience of working age adults and shows that while people do fall into poverty, only a small proportion of people are persistently poor.

The 1991 Census Expanded Community Profiles present 44 tables comprising more detailed information than that of the basic community profiles which provide characteristics of persons and/or dwellings for Local Government Areas (LGA) in Australia. This table contains data relating to annual household income by household type. Counts are of family, group and lone person households, based on place of enumeration on census night which excludes adjustment for under-enumeration. The data is by LGA 1991 boundaries. Periodicity: 5-Yearly. This data is ABS data (cat. no. 2101.0 & original geographic boundary cat. no. 1261.0.30.001) used with permission from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The tabular data was processed and supplied to AURIN by the Australian Data Archives. The cleaned, high resolution 1991 geographic boundaries are available from data.gov.au. For more information please refer to the 1991 Census Dictionary. Please note: (a) Comprises households where at least one, but not all, member(s) aged 15 years or more did not state an income and /or at least one spouse, offspring, or co-tenant was temporarily absent.

Australia Household Net Worth: 2011-12p: Mean: One Family: Other data was reported at 878,547.000 AUD in 2012. This records an increase from the previous number of 809,116.000 AUD for 2010. Australia Household Net Worth: 2011-12p: Mean: One Family: Other data is updated yearly, averaging 723,865.500 AUD from Jun 2004 (Median) to 2012, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 878,547.000 AUD in 2012 and a record low of 569,245.000 AUD in 2004. Australia Household Net Worth: 2011-12p: Mean: One Family: Other 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.H032: Survey of Income and Housing: Household Net Worth: by Family Composition.

The 1991 Census Basic Community profiles present 57 tables containing summary characteristics of persons and/or dwellings for Statistical Local Areas (SLA) in Australia. This table contains data relating to annual family income. Counts are of all families, based on place of enumeration on census night which; includes overseas visitors; excludes Australians overseas; and excludes adjustment for under-enumeration. The data is by SLA 1991 boundaries. Periodicity: 5-Yearly. This data is ABS data (cat. no. 2101.0 & original geographic boundary cat. no. 1261.0.30.001) used with permission from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The tabular data was processed and supplied to AURIN by the Australian Data Archives. The cleaned, high resolution 1991 geographic boundaries are available from data.gov.au. For more information please refer to the 1991 Census Dictionary. Please note: (a) Comprises families where at least one, but not all, member(s) aged 15 years or more did not state an income and/orat least one spouse or offspring was temporarily absent. (b) Comprises families where no members present stated an income.