Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Australia
Australia: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line was 12.6% in 2020. ▬ Flat
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Australia, 1981–2020
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
Australia recorded 12.6% for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in 2020.
The figure is down 1.6% on the previous year and up 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Australia peaked at 13.2% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 11.3%, in 2014.
Australia ranks 101st of 123 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Australia, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 12.3% | — |
| 1985 | 12.4% | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 13.2% | +6.5% |
| 1995 | 12.7% | -3.8% |
| 2001 | 12.5% | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 12.1% | -3.2% |
| 2004 | 11.6% | -4.1% |
| 2008 | 11.7% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 11.9% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 11.3% | -5.0% |
| 2016 | 12.3% | +8.8% |
| 2018 | 12.8% | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 12.6% | -1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12.6% | 12.3% | 13.2% | 3 |
| 1990s | 12.7% | 12.7% | 12.7% | 1 |
| 2000s | 12.0% | 11.6% | 12.5% | 4 |
| 2010s | 12.1% | 11.3% | 12.8% | 4 |
| 2020s | 12.6% | 12.6% | 12.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More poverty & inequality data for Australia
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 3 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.64 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 2,690 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -0.0446 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 30.36 (2022)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 30.4% (2022)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Australia?
- Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Australia was 12.6% in 2020, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 13.2% in 1989.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.3% in 2014.
- How does Australia rank for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
- Australia ranks 101st out of 123 countries with data for 2020.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2021 U.S. dollars and defined as max($3.00, $1.30 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $3.00. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.