Australians are stuck in a low income growth trap

Tuesday 24 February 2026

Real per capita household disposable income is arguably the single best measure of material living standards.

The OECD has released cross-country data on real per capita household disposable income for the third quarter of 2025.

According to the OECD, Australia has recorded the smallest increase in real per capita household disposable income among major English-speaking nations over the past decade:

Real household disposable income vs OECD

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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.