Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%) in Australia
Australia: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%) was 11.3% in 2020. ▬ Flat
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Australia, 1981–2020
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Australia is 11.3%, measured in 2020.
The figure is down 3.4% on the previous year and up 7.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Australia peaked at 11.7% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 9.6%, in 2004.
That places Australia 66th out of 130 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%) in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 10.5% | — |
| 1985 | 10.7% | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 11.2% | +4.7% |
| 1995 | 10.2% | -8.9% |
| 2001 | 10.2% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 10.3% | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 9.6% | -6.8% |
| 2008 | 10.2% | +6.2% |
| 2010 | 10.5% | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 9.8% | -6.7% |
| 2016 | 10.7% | +9.2% |
| 2018 | 11.7% | +9.3% |
| 2020 | 11.3% | -3.4% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 11.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 11.7%, 97% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
- Australia's 11.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 11.3%, 1.0× the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10.8% | 10.5% | 11.2% | 3 |
| 1990s | 10.2% | 10.2% | 10.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 10.1% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 4 |
| 2010s | 10.7% | 9.8% | 11.7% | 4 |
| 2020s | 11.3% | 11.3% | 11.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More infrastructure data for Australia
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 30.07 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 112.58 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 5.95 million (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 22.28 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.2189 units per person (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -8.03 % change on previous year (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 5.95 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 1.11 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Australia?
- Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Australia was 11.3% in 2020, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 11.7% in 2018.
- What is the lowest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.6% in 2004.
- How does Australia rank for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
- Australia ranks 66th out of 130 countries with data for 2020.
- Is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).