In 2023, the federal government in Australia spent around **** billion Australian dollars on the Support for Seniors program as part of the expenditure for social security and welfare. The National Disability Insurance Scheme recorded the second-highest expenditure at just under ** billion Australian dollars.

Australia Government Budget: Expenses: Social Security and Welfare data was reported at 23,003.000 AUD mn in Mar 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 20,795.000 AUD mn for Feb 2025. Australia Government Budget: Expenses: Social Security and Welfare data is updated monthly, averaging 4,210.000 AUD mn from Aug 1973 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 589 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 40,753.000 AUD mn in Nov 2008 and a record low of 177.000 AUD mn in Oct 1973. Australia Government Budget: Expenses: Social Security and Welfare data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Finance. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.F001: General Government: Operating Statement.

Health expenditure occurs where money is spent on health goods and services. It occurs at different levels of government, as well as by non-government entities such as private health insurers and individuals.

In many cases, funds pass through a number of different entities before they are ultimately spent by providers (such as hospitals, general practices and pharmacies) on health goods and services.

The term ‘health expenditure’ in this context relates to all funds given to, or for, providers of health goods and services. It includes the funds provided by the Australian Government to the state and territory governments, as well as the funds provided by the state and territory governments to providers.

This data has been superseded, for more recent data on health expenditure, please the AIHW page on health expenditure.

Unlike most other countries in the OECD, the social security payment system is funded through government revenue; it is not based on past contributions and is not capped or time limited. In addition, Australia has Medicare, a publicly funded universal health system, which includes subsidised medication under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. The Government also provides significant investment in education, supporting government and non-government schools, as well as higher education and vocational education and training (Budget 2018-19, Statement 6: Expenses and Net Capital Investment). Analysis by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW, 2015-16 data) shows expenditure by Australian and state and territory governments on welfare was $157.2 billion, up from $116.8 billion in 2006-07 constant prices. Overall, for the period from 2006-07 to 2015-16 welfare expenditure grew more quickly than the overall economy over the same period. This figure includes $105.1 billion) in cash payments for specific populations (not including unemployment benefits), $42.2 billion in welfare services and 9.9 billion in unemployment benefits (AIHW, Australia’s Welfare 2017, p.27).

The Personal Welfare Services industry provides community and welfare services to disadvantaged individuals, including children, the elderly and Australians with long-term disabilities. The industry’s services include those designed to assist the frail and disabled in community settings, thereby circumventing the need for institutional care. As such it plays a key role in the wider care and support economy, one of Australia's fastest growing sectors and a key focus area of the current Labor Government. High and increasing government funding, including funding associated with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), has benefited community and welfare service providers in Australia over the past decade. However, according to the Australian Council of Social Service, many of the social service organisations that deliver youth outreach services, disability support, and community legal services are now at a breaking point. This is because of unprecedented demand for their services following a series of external shocks in recent years – including bushfires, the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis – with current funding levels proving inadequate to meet this additional demand. Inflationary cost pressures are adding to profit margin pressures and threatening the viability of several social assistance organisations. Industry revenue is expected to expand at an annualised 9.9% over the five years through 2024-25 to $43.2 billion. This rate includes anticipated growth of 6.8% in 2024-25 as a forecast rise in the unemployment rate, combined with high interest rates and the cost-of-living crisis, continues to take its toll, especially on disadvantaged Australians. However, funding shortfalls will constrain the industry’s ability to respond. Australia's ageing population will bolster demand for social assistance services in the coming years, particularly for in-home aged-care services. Simultaneously, new regulations governing the provision of aged care services and disability support services will influence the industry’s operating landscape. Changes to the industry's operating backdrop in view of the Government's care and support economy reform agenda will also shape the industry going forwards. Overall, industry revenue is forecast to climb by an annualised 5.8% over the five years through 2029-30, to $57.3 billion.

Unlike most other countries in the OECD, the social security payment system is funded through government revenue; it is not based on past contributions and is not capped or time limited. In …Show full descriptionUnlike most other countries in the OECD, the social security payment system is funded through government revenue; it is not based on past contributions and is not capped or time limited. In addition, Australia has Medicare, a publicly funded universal health system, which includes subsidised medication under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. The Government also provides significant investment in education, supporting government and non-government schools, as well as higher education and vocational education and training (Budget 2018-19, Statement 6: Expenses and Net Capital Investment). Analysis by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW, 2015-16 data) shows expenditure by Australian and state and territory governments on welfare was $157.2 billion, up from $116.8 billion in 2006-07 constant prices. Overall, for the period from 2006-07 to 2015-16 welfare expenditure grew more quickly than the overall economy over the same period. This figure includes $105.1 billion) in cash payments for specific populations (not including unemployment benefits), $42.2 billion in welfare services and 9.9 billion in unemployment benefits (AIHW, Australia’s Welfare 2017, p.27).

Australia Welfare Costs of Premature Mortalities from Exposure to Ambient PM2.5:(GDP) Gross Domestic ProductEquivalent data was reported at 0.670 % in 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.640 % for 2018. Australia Welfare Costs of Premature Mortalities from Exposure to Ambient PM2.5:(GDP) Gross Domestic ProductEquivalent data is updated yearly, averaging 0.835 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2019, with 30 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.450 % in 1990 and a record low of 0.620 % in 2017. Australia Welfare Costs of Premature Mortalities from Exposure to Ambient PM2.5:(GDP) Gross Domestic ProductEquivalent data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.OECD.GGI: Social: Air Quality and Health: OECD Member: Annual.

This dataset presents the footprint of the percentage of patients with costs, the total out-of-pocket cost per patient at the 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentile and various statistics for all patients. The data spans the financial year of 2016-2017 and is aggregated to 2015 Department of Health Primary Health Network (PHN) areas, based on the 2011 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS).

The data is sourced from the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) claims data, which are administered by the Australian Government Department of Health. The claims data are derived from administrative information on services that qualify for a Medicare benefit under the Health Insurance Act 1973 and for which a claim has been processed by the Department of Human Services. Data are reported for claims processed between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017. The data also contains the results from the ABS 2016-17 Patient Experience Survey, collected between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017. The Patient Experience Survey is conducted annually by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and collects information from a representative sample of the Australian population. The Patient Experience Survey is one of several components of the Multipurpose Household Survey, as a supplement to the monthly Labour Force Survey.

The Patients' spending on Medicare Services data accompanies the Patients' out-of-pocket spending on Medicare services 2016-17 Report.

For further information about this dataset, visit the data source:Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - Patients' out-of-pocket spending on Medicare services Data Tables.

Please note:

• AURIN has spatially enabled the original data using the Department of Health - PHN Areas.

• Non-hospital Medicare services are Medicare-subsidised medical services that were provided to patients who were not admitted into a hospital at the time of receiving the service. These include GP and practice nurse attendances, specialist attendances, obstetric attendances, pathology tests and collection items, diagnostic imaging, operations, assistance at operations, optometry, allied health attendances, radiotherapy and therapeutic nuclear medicine that were provided to patients not admitted into a hospital. This includes eligible telehealth services.

• Total out-of-pocket cost per patient is the net cost to the patient for all non-hospital Medicare-subsidised health services they claim in a year, after deducting the Medicare benefit paid.

• The data is based on the patient's Medicare enrolment postcode, not where they received the health care service. Most peoples' Medicare enrolment postcode will be their residential postcode.

• If a service was flagged as bulk-billed, then the fee charged was set to equal the benefit paid (so there was no out-of-pocket cost for that service).

• Patients were excluded if the sum of eligible services in the year was less than one, or if their annual out-of-pocket expenditure on the eligible services was equal to or less than zero.

• Costs associated with bulk-billing incentives or other top-up items are included in the analysis.

• Total out-of-pocket cost per patient is for patients with out-of-pocket costs greater than zero.

• All patients include all patients with out-of-pocket costs equal to, or greater than, zero.

• NP - Not available for publication. The estimate is considered to be unreliable. Values assigned to NP in the original data have been set to null.

This dataset presents the footprint of the percentage of people who delayed or did not see a GP when needed due to cost in the last 12 months. The data spans the financial years of 2013-2017 and is aggregated to 2015 Department of Health Primary Health Network (PHN) areas, based on the 2011 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS).

The data is sourced from the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) claims data, which are administered by the Australian Government Department of Health. The claims data are derived from administrative information on services that qualify for a Medicare benefit under the Health Insurance Act 1973 and for which a claim has been processed by the Department of Human Services. Data are reported for claims processed between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017. The data also contains the results from the ABS 2016-17 Patient Experience Survey, collected between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017. The Patient Experience Survey is conducted annually by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and collects information from a representative sample of the Australian population. The Patient Experience Survey is one of several components of the Multipurpose Household Survey, as a supplement to the monthly Labour Force Survey.

The Patients' spending on Medicare Services data accompanies the Patients' out-of-pocket spending on Medicare services 2016-17 Report.

For further information about this dataset, visit the data source:Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - Patients' out-of-pocket spending on Medicare services Data Tables.

Please note:

• AURIN has spatially enabled the original data using the Department of Health - PHN Areas.

• The data is based on the patient's Medicare enrolment postcode, not where they received the health care service. Most peoples' Medicare enrolment postcode will be their residential postcode.

• The data excludes pathology and imaging tests conducted in a hospital, and any dental imaging tests.

• If respondents sought clarification on the definition of a medical specialist, interviewers were instructed to advise that medical specialists provide services which are covered, at least in part, by Medicare (e.g. dermatologists, cardiologists, neurologists and gynaecologists).

• Imaging tests or diagnostic imaging include all tests that produce images or pictures of the inside of the body in order to diagnose diseases. Tests involve the use of radiant energy, including x-rays, sound waves, radio waves, and radioactive waves and particles that are recorded by photographic films or other types of detectors.

• Pathology tests refer to laboratory tests that include analysis of specimens such as urine and blood in order to diagnose disease.

• The survey excludes persons aged less than 15 years, persons living in non-private dwellings and the Indigenous Community Strata (encompassing discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities).

• Data for Northern Territory should be interpreted with caution as the Patient Experience Survey excluded the Indigenous Community Strata, which comprises around 25% of the estimated resident population of the Northern Territory living in private dwellings.

• Rows that contain a "#" in "Interpret with Caution" indicates that the estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50%, which indicates a high level of sampling error relative to its value and must be taken into account when comparing this estimate with other values.

• NP - Not available for publication. The estimate is considered to be unreliable. Values assigned to NP in the original data have been set to null.

This dataset presents the footprint of the percentage of patients with imaging costs, and out-of-pocket cost per diagnostic imaging service attendance at the 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentile. The data spans the financial year of 2016-2017 and is aggregated to 2015 Department of Health Primary Health Network (PHN) areas, based on the 2011 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS).

The data is sourced from the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) claims data, which are administered by the Australian Government Department of Health. The claims data are derived from administrative information on services that qualify for a Medicare benefit under the Health Insurance Act 1973 and for which a claim has been processed by the Department of Human Services. Data are reported for claims processed between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017. The data also contains the results from the ABS 2016-17 Patient Experience Survey, collected between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017. The Patient Experience Survey is conducted annually by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and collects information from a representative sample of the Australian population. The Patient Experience Survey is one of several components of the Multipurpose Household Survey, as a supplement to the monthly Labour Force Survey.

The Patients' spending on Medicare Services data accompanies the Patients' out-of-pocket spending on Medicare services 2016-17 Report.

For further information about this dataset, visit the data source:Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - Patients' out-of-pocket spending on Medicare services Data Tables.

Please note:

• AURIN has spatially enabled the original data using the Department of Health - PHN Areas.

• Diagnostic imaging services are Medicare-subsidised diagnostic imaging procedures such as x-rays, computerised tomography scans, ultrasound scans, magnetic resonance imaging scans and nuclear medicine scans.

• Out-of-pocket cost per service is the net cost to the patient of a health service, after deducting the Medicare benefit paid. The measure is calculated per patient (patients' annual out-of-pocket cost for eligible attendances, divided by the number of eligible attendances that the patient claimed in the year), for patients with out-of-pocket costs.

• The data is based on the patient's Medicare enrolment postcode, not where they received the health care service. Most peoples' Medicare enrolment postcode will be their residential postcode.

• If a service was flagged as bulk-billed, then the fee charged was set to equal the benefit paid (so there was no out-of-pocket cost for that service).

• Patients were excluded if the sum of eligible services in the year was less than one, or if their annual out-of-pocket expenditure on the eligible services was equal to or less than zero.

• Includes non-hospital Medicare-subsidised services only.

• NP - Not available for publication. The estimate is considered to be unreliable. Values assigned to NP in the original data have been set to null.

Australia Government Expenditure per Student: Secondary: % of(GDP) Gross Domestic Productper Capita data was reported at 14.981 % in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 17.136 % for 2015. Australia Government Expenditure per Student: Secondary: % of(GDP) Gross Domestic Productper Capita data is updated yearly, averaging 16.318 % from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17.136 % in 2015 and a record low of 14.981 % in 2016. Australia Government Expenditure per Student: Secondary: % of(GDP) Gross Domestic Productper Capita data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.World Bank.WDI: Social: Education Statistics. Government expenditure per student is the average general government expenditure (current, capital, and transfers) per student in the given level of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP per capita.;UNESCO Institute for Statistics (http://uis.unesco.org/). Data as of February 2020.;Median;

This report analyses the total amount of health expenditure in Australia. This includes federal, state and local government expenditure and private expenditure by individuals and private health insurers. The data for this report is sourced from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and is measured in billions of dollars.

In 2023, capital expenditure on all social housing in Australia amounted to around **** billion Australian dollars. This value has gradually increased since 2021.

In the financial year 2023, the Australian government spent just over *** billion Australian dollars on the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement (NHHA). The NHHA was created to allow the Commonwealth Government to provide funding to the states, to assist with improving access to affordable, safe, and sustainable housing and to prevent and address homelessness.

Australia Proportion of Population Spending More Than 10% of Household Consumption or Income on Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: % data was reported at 2.470 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.330 % for 2009. Australia Proportion of Population Spending More Than 10% of Household Consumption or Income on Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: % data is updated yearly, averaging 2.400 % from Dec 2009 (Median) to 2015, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.470 % in 2015 and a record low of 2.330 % in 2009. Australia Proportion of Population Spending More Than 10% of Household Consumption or Income on Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Proportion of population spending more than 10% of household consumption or income on out-of-pocket health care expenditure. Out-of-pocket health expenditure is defined as any spending incurred by a household when any member uses a health good or service to receive any type of care (preventive, curative, rehabilitative, long-term or palliative care); provided by any type of provider; for any type of disease, illness or health condition; in any type of setting (outpatient, inpatient, at home).;Global Health Observatory. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2023. (https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/financial-protection);Weighted average;This is the Sustainable Development Goal indicator 3.8.2[https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].

This dataset presents the footprint of the percentage of specialist attendances and associated Medicare benefits expenditure per person. Specialist attendance has been calculated with the total services from eligible claims (excluding any bulk-billed incentive items or other top-up items), divided by the Estimated Resident Population (ERP) at the previous end of the financial year. Specialist expenditure has been calculated with the total benefit paid for eligible claims, divided by the ERP at the previous end of the financial year. The data spans the financial years of 2010-2017 and is aggregated to Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3) geographic areas from the 2011 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS).

The data is sourced from the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) claims data, which are administered by the Australian Government Department of Health. These claims data are derived from administrative information on services that qualify for a Medicare benefit under the Health Insurance Act 1973 and for which a claim is processed by the Department of Human Services.

For further information about this dataset visit the data source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - Medicare Benefits Schedule GP and Specialist Attendances and Expenditure in 2016-17 Data Tables.

Please note:

• AURIN has spatially enabled the original data.

• MBS claims data do not include services that were provided free of charge to public patients in hospitals or were subsidised by the Department of Veterans' Affairs, compensation arrangements or through other publicly funded programs including jurisdictional salaried GP services provided in remote outreach clinics.

• Specialist attendances are Medicare benefits-funded referred patient/doctor encounters, such as visits, consultations, and attendances by video conference, involving medical practitioners who have been recognised as specialists or consultant physicians for Medicare benefits purposes.

• Expenditure on GP/specialist attendances comprises MBS funding for patient/doctor encounters. Expenditure is reported unadjusted for inflation.

• Bulk-billing is an arrangement in which a medical practitioner sends the bill directly to Medicare, so the patient pays nothing. Also known as direct billing.

• Age-standardisation allows fairer comparisons to be made between areas by accounting for variation in the age of populations within each area. This adjustment is important because the rates of many health conditions and health service use vary with age.

In 2023, capital expenditure on all social housing in the state of Victoria in Australia amounted to around 1.23 billion Australian dollars. This marked a significant increase compared to the beginning of the measured period, 2018.

This dataset presents the footprint of the percentage of patients with imaging costs, and out-of-pocket cost per diagnostic imaging service attendance at the 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentile. The data spans the financial year of 2016-2017 and is aggregated to Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3) from the 2016 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS).

The data is sourced from the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) claims data, which are administered by the Australian Government Department of Health. The claims data are derived from administrative information on services that qualify for a Medicare benefit under the Health Insurance Act 1973 and for which a claim has been processed by the Department of Human Services. Data are reported for claims processed between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017. The data also contains the results from the ABS 2016-17 Patient Experience Survey, collected between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017. The Patient Experience Survey is conducted annually by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and collects information from a representative sample of the Australian population. The Patient Experience Survey is one of several components of the Multipurpose Household Survey, as a supplement to the monthly Labour Force Survey.

The Patients' spending on Medicare Services data accompanies the Patients' out-of-pocket spending on Medicare services 2016-17 Report.

For further information about this dataset, visit the data source:Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - Patients' out-of-pocket spending on Medicare services Data Tables.

Please note:

• AURIN has spatially enabled the original data.

• Diagnostic imaging services are Medicare-subsidised diagnostic imaging procedures such as x-rays, computerised tomography scans, ultrasound scans, magnetic resonance imaging scans and nuclear medicine scans.

• Out-of-pocket cost per service is the net cost to the patient of a health service, after deducting the Medicare benefit paid. The measure is calculated per patient (patients' annual out-of-pocket cost for eligible attendances, divided by the number of eligible attendances that the patient claimed in the year), for patients with out-of-pocket costs.

• The data is based on the patient's Medicare enrolment postcode, not where they received the health care service. Most peoples' Medicare enrolment postcode will be their residential postcode.

• If a service was flagged as bulk-billed, then the fee charged was set to equal the benefit paid (so there was no out-of-pocket cost for that service).

• Patients were excluded if the sum of eligible services in the year was less than one, or if their annual out-of-pocket expenditure on the eligible services was equal to or less than zero.

• Includes non-hospital Medicare-subsidised services only.

• NP - Not available for publication. The estimate is considered to be unreliable. Values assigned to NP in the original data have been set to null.

This report analyses the value of publicly funded health expenditure in Australia. Total public health expenditure is defined as the sum of direct and tax expenditures on health by the Federal Government and all state and territory governments. The data is sourced from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and is measured in billions of dollars.

Australia Proportion of Population Spending More Than 25% of Household Consumption or Income on Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: % data was reported at 0.400 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.330 % for 2009. Australia Proportion of Population Spending More Than 25% of Household Consumption or Income on Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: % data is updated yearly, averaging 0.365 % from Dec 2009 (Median) to 2015, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.400 % in 2015 and a record low of 0.330 % in 2009. Australia Proportion of Population Spending More Than 25% of Household Consumption or Income on Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Proportion of population spending more than 25% of household consumption or income on out-of-pocket health care expenditure. Out-of-pocket health expenditure is defined as any spending incurred by a household when any member uses a health good or service to receive any type of care (preventive, curative, rehabilitative, long-term or palliative care); provided by any type of provider; for any type of disease, illness or health condition; in any type of setting (outpatient, inpatient, at home).;Global Health Observatory. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2023. (https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/financial-protection);Weighted average;This is the Sustainable Development Goal indicator 3.8.2[https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].