Australians are living longer, are more educated and their wealth and disposable income is rising. The country also has the lowest unemployment level in 32 years and is seeking migrants to fill skill shortages.
The latest measurement of Australia’s progress by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows how Australia is doing economically, socially and environmentally.
Measures of Australia's Progress summary
Work: Unemployment fell in the ten years to 2006, from 8.2 per cent in 1996 to 4.9 per cent in 2006. In October 2007 the unemployment rate was 4.3 per cent.
National wealth: Australia's real (i.e. adjusted to remove the effects of price change) net worth per person rose at an average rate of 1.0 per cent each year between June 1996 and June 2006, reaching almost $237,000 in 2006.
National income: Australia's real net disposable income per person grew at an average rate of 3.0 per cent each year between 1995-96 and 2005-06.
Crime: The rates of household crimes (break-ins and motor vehicle theft) fell from 9.0 per cent in 1998 to 6.2 per cent in 2005.
There was a small increase in the rates of people who had experienced a 'personal crime' between 1998 and 2005, from 4.8per cent to 5.3 per cent. Most of these people were assaulted.
Health: Australian’s are living longer. A boy born in 2005 could expect to live to 78 (four years longer than a boy born in 1995) while a girl could expect to reach 83 (three years longer than a girl born in 1995).
Education: Australians are now more educated. Between 1996 and 2006 the proportion of 25-64 year olds with a non-school qualification (e.g. a degree, diploma or certificate) rose from 48 per cent to 59 per cent.
Social wellbeing
A separate ABS report on social wellbeing showed that more than half of Australian adults (54 per cent) felt that they could trust 'most people'.
Most people felt that they had a network of people to contact if they needed advice or information, with 72 per cent saying they knew someone in an organisation that they felt comfortable contacting.
Most people (93 per cent) felt that in a time of crisis they could get support from people living outside their household, including family and friends.