30th August, 2007

Nearly two million Australians live under the poverty line according to an international standard, says a new report from the Australian Council of Social Services’ Australia Fair initiative.

The report, released this week, drew on an international poverty standard used extensively in OECD countries under which people who earn less than 50 per cent of median income are below the poverty line.

It shows that by this measure, the numbers of Australians living in poverty increased from 7.6 per cent to 9.9 per cent in the 10 years to 2004, a figure equating to nearly two million Australians.

The report, Australia Fair: International Comparisons 2007, also says that the figure rises to 3.8 million Australians if the UK poverty standard - equating to 60 per cent of median income - is used.

Elsewhere the report shows that Australia ranks 14th out of 18 OECD countries on the United Nation’s Human Poverty Index, below countries including Sweden, Germany, Canada and Japan but above both the US and UK.

It also shows that while Australia’s home ownership rate, at 70 per cent, is one of the highest of OECD countries, housing affordability is worse here than in any other English-speaking country.

Other areas where Australia ranks poorly include the gap of life expectancy between indigenous health and that of other Australians and the cost of visiting a dentist.

~ www.acoss.org.au

- DAVID ADAMS