According to a survey conducted among adults in Australia in March 2025, ** percent of the respondents surveyed in September believed that the cost of living is the chief issue that Australia is facing. This represented a ***** percent decrease in those citing the cost of living as the main issue compared to March of the previous year.

In a survey about factors contributing to cost of living pressures in Australia during the second quarter of 2022, ** percent of respondents identified groceries as the biggest contributor. Additionally, ** percent mentioned transport as a key contributor.

The Crisis and Care Accommodation industry forms part of Australia's community welfare sector and provides services for some of the most economically vulnerable people in Australian society, including children, those with long-term disabilities and the elderly. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, a growing number of Australians were at increased risk of homelessness, with many experiencing financial hardship, persistent disadvantage and social exclusion. Stagnant wage growth in inflation-adjusted terms, heightened housing stress and associated incidences of family breakdown and family violence have boosted demand for crisis and care accommodation over the past few years. Given high inflation and rising rental costs, many of the industry’s clients have become increasingly vulnerable and their needs are also becoming more complex. Rising disability prevalence is creating additional challenges for residential care providers, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics finding that 5.5 million Australians had a disability in 2022 (latest data available). However, the ability to meet increased demand hasn't necessarily been matched by additional funding, constraining industry and profit growth. In light of these socio-economic variables and supply constraints, industry revenue growth is expected to be a modest 4.3% annualised over the five years through 2024-25 to $5.7 billion, including anticipated growth of 4.0% in the current year. Solid demand for residential care services will persist in the coming years, bolstered by a strong need for homelessness services as high rents and inflation exacerbate Australia’s housing crisis. An ageing population is set to continue driving demand for palliative care and respite services, while the existence of deep and persistent disadvantage among Australia’s most vulnerable population cohorts will continue to sustain demand for crisis and rehabilitation care. Government policies and associated regulatory reforms – including those stemming from the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability – will dictate the industry's operating environment. Industry growth rates will remain modest at 2.7% annualised through 2029-30, to reach $6.5 billion.

Organisations in the Community Services subdivision play an integral role in Australia's wider care and support economy. Subdivision operators help to arrange paid and unpaid care and counsel for individuals in need, including the economically disadvantaged and other vulnerable members of society like children and the elderly. Favourable demographic trends and ongoing government funding - especially funding associated with the staged aged care reforms, the 2023 Cheaper Child Care policy and the National Disability Insurance Scheme - have supported the subdivision's performance in recent years. With a growing number of Australians experiencing persistent social and economic disadvantages, housing insecurity and associated mental health challenges, the Community Services subdivision has become increasingly overstretched and underfunded, especially as government indexation continues to lag cost inflation. At the same time, recent national inquiries have exposed several failings in Australia's aged care, disability and mental health systems, with the subdivision being the subject of several Royal Commission reviews, including the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. Sweeping regulatory reforms stemming from these Royal Commissions are now underway, shaking up the subdivision's operating environment. The subdivision's not-for-profit organisations and private enterprises are expected to receive $115.1 billion from government funding, donations and private income in 2025-26, following annualised growth of 7.3% over the past five years. This includes expected revenue growth of 2.0% in 2025-26, with legislative uncertainty and funding shortfall concerns constraining the ability of community service providers to help disadvantaged Australians grappling with the ongoing housing and cost-of-living crisis. Cost pressures, combined with increased regulatory burdens, will impact already slim profit margins during the year. Rising demand from Australia's ageing population and ongoing demand for child care services will support future industry growth, as will continued disadvantages for Australia's most vulnerable members of society. At the same time, labour shortages and profit margin pressures arising from long-term chronic underfunding will hamper the ability of the subdivision to meet demand. Further changes to the industry's operating backdrop in view of rising concerns over former government policies favouring the privatisation of aged care and child care may be imminent. Despite these challenges, revenue for the Community Services subdivision is forecast to climb at an annualised 4.0% through the end of 2030-31 to total $145.2 billion.

According to a survey conducted among senior business decision makers in restaurant services across Australia in September 2023, the leading way restaurateurs managed the impacts of rising costs on their restaurant's profitability was by increasing menu prices, with around ** percent of respondents indicating doing so. Partnering with online food delivery services and changing their menu or substituting menu items were the next most prevalent methods restaurants used to manage increased costs.

IntroductionEndometriosis has a significant cost of illness burden in Europe, UK and the USA, with the majority of costs coming from reductions in productivity. However, information is scarce on if there is a differing impact between endometriosis and other causes of chronic pelvic pain, and if there are modifiable factors, such as pain severity, that may be significant contributors to the overall burden.MethodsAn online survey was hosted by SurveyMonkey and the link was active between February to April 2017. Women aged 18–45, currently living in Australia, who had either a confirmed diagnosis of endometriosis via laparoscopy or chronic pelvic pain without a diagnosis of endometriosis were included. The retrospective component of the WERF EndoCost tool was used to determine direct healthcare costs, direct non-healthcare costs (carers) and indirect costs due to productivity loss. Estimates were extrapolated to the Australian population using published prevalence estimates.Results407 valid responses were received. The cost of illness burden was significant in women with chronic pelvic pain (Int $16,970 to $ 20,898 per woman per year) irrespective of whether they had a diagnosis of endometriosis. The majority of costs (75–84%) were due to productivity loss. Both absolute and relative productivity costs in Australia were higher than previous estimates based on data from Europe, UK and USA. Pain scores showed the strongest relationship to productivity costs, a 12.5-fold increase in costs between minimal to severe pain. The total economic burden per year in Australia in the reproductive aged population (at 10% prevalence) was 6.50 billion Int $.ConclusionSimilar to studies in European, British and American populations, productivity costs are the greatest contributor to overall costs. Given pain is the most significant contributor, priority should be given to improving pain control in women with pelvic pain

The statistic shows the inflation rate in Australia from 1987 to 2023, with projections up until 2030. The inflation rate is calculated using the price increase of a defined product basket. This product basket contains products and services, on which the average consumer spends money throughout the year. They include expenses for groceries, clothes, rent, power, telecommunications, recreational activities and raw materials (e.g. gas, oil), as well as federal fees and taxes. In 2023, the average inflation rate in Australia was at about 5.62 percent compared to the previous year. Australia's economy Australia has one of the world’s largest economies and is a significant global importer and exporter. It is also labeled as one of the G20 countries, also known as the Group of Twenty, which consists of 20 major economies around the globe. The Australian economy is highly dependent on its mining sector as well as its agricultural sector in order to grow, and it exports the majority of these goods to eastern Asian countries, most prominently China. Large quantities of exports have helped Australia maintain a stable economy and furthered economic expansion, despite being affected by several economic obstacles. Australia’s GDP has seen a significant increase over the past decade, more than doubling its value, and experienced a rather quick recovery from the 2008 financial crisis, which indicates that the country experienced economic growth as well as higher productivity. One of the primary reasons is the further development of the nation’s mining industry coupled with the expansion and success of many Australian mining companies.

The statistic shows the inflation rate in the European Union and the Euro area from 2020 to 2024, with projections up until 2030. The term inflation, also known as currency devaluation (drop in the value of money), is characterized by a steady rise in prices for finished products (consumer goods, capital goods). The consumer price index tracks price trends of private consumption expenditure, and shows an increase in the index's current level of inflation. In 2024, the inflation rate in the EU was about 2.56 percent compared to the previous year. The economic situation in the European Union and the euro area The ongoing Eurozone crisis, which initially emerged in 2009, has dramatically affected most countries in the European Union. The crisis primarily prevented many countries from refinancing their debt without help from a third party and slowed economic growth throughout the entire EU. As a result, general gross debt escalated annually in the euro area and more prominently in the EU. The collective sum of debt is most likely going to continue, given the current global economic situation as well as Europe’s recovering, however struggling economy. Struggles are primarily evident in the EU’s budget balance, which saw itself in the negative every year over the same timeframe as the eurozone crisis, although the balances improved on a yearly basis. Despite economical struggles, the EU still grew in population almost every year over the past decade, primarily due to a high standard of living and job opportunities, compared to many of its surrounding neighbors.

In December 2023, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Adelaide, Australia was 137.1, recording a change of 6.3 percent. The CPI in Adelaide indicated an increase higher than any other capital city in the country. With a CPI of 137.7, Brisbane, the capital of the country's north-eastern state of Queensland, recorded the highest CPI overall in the quarter. The CPI measures household inflation.

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.

Portugal, Canada, and the United States were the countries with the highest house price to income ratio in 2024. In all three countries, the index exceeded 130 index points, while the average for all OECD countries stood at 116.2 index points. The index measures the development of housing affordability and is calculated by dividing nominal house price by nominal disposable income per head, with 2015 set as a base year when the index amounted to 100. An index value of 120, for example, would mean that house price growth has outpaced income growth by 20 percent since 2015. How have house prices worldwide changed since the COVID-19 pandemic? House prices started to rise gradually after the global financial crisis (2007–2008), but this trend accelerated with the pandemic. The countries with advanced economies, which usually have mature housing markets, experienced stronger growth than countries with emerging economies. Real house price growth (accounting for inflation) peaked in 2022 and has since lost some of the gain. Although, many countries experienced a decline in house prices, the global house price index shows that property prices in 2023 were still substantially higher than before COVID-19. Renting vs. buying In the past, house prices have grown faster than rents. However, the home affordability has been declining notably, with a direct impact on rental prices. As people struggle to buy a property of their own, they often turn to rental accommodation. This has resulted in a growing demand for rental apartments and soaring rental prices.

In December 2023, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Adelaide, Australia recorded a change of 4.8 percent, higher than any other capital city in the country. The CPI measures household inflation. Hobart and Perth saw the lowest change with around three percent.

At **** U.S. dollars, Switzerland has the most expensive Big Macs in the world, according to the January 2025 Big Mac index. Concurrently, the cost of a Big Mac was **** dollars in the U.S., and **** U.S. dollars in the Euro area. What is the Big Mac index? The Big Mac index, published by The Economist, is a novel way of measuring whether the market exchange rates for different countries’ currencies are overvalued or undervalued. It does this by measuring each currency against a common standard – the Big Mac hamburger sold by McDonald’s restaurants all over the world. Twice a year the Economist converts the average national price of a Big Mac into U.S. dollars using the exchange rate at that point in time. As a Big Mac is a completely standardized product across the world, the argument goes that it should have the same relative cost in every country. Differences in the cost of a Big Mac expressed as U.S. dollars therefore reflect differences in the purchasing power of each currency. Is the Big Mac index a good measure of purchasing power parity? Purchasing power parity (PPP) is the idea that items should cost the same in different countries, based on the exchange rate at that time. This relationship does not hold in practice. Factors like tax rates, wage regulations, whether components need to be imported, and the level of market competition all contribute to price variations between countries. The Big Mac index does measure this basic point – that one U.S. dollar can buy more in some countries than others. There are more accurate ways to measure differences in PPP though, which convert a larger range of products into their dollar price. Adjusting for PPP can have a massive effect on how we understand a country’s economy. The country with the largest GDP adjusted for PPP is China, but when looking at the unadjusted GDP of different countries, the U.S. has the largest economy.