Proof Australian living standards are declining

The University of Melbourne’s latest Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey has found that households have less disposable income than they did before the pandemic.

The survey found that mean annual household disposable income has dropped below 2020 levels to $116,432. Households are also spending far more on childcare, rent, and mortgage payments than they did two decades ago.

Median household disposable income is slightly better, falling to around 2020 levels and has barely increased since 2009.

The full text of this article is available to MacroBusiness subscribers

$1 for your first month, then:

$24.99 / month

$249 / year

Cancel at any time through our billing provider, Stripe

Share

About the author

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.