The health of a nation
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australians are on average living longer, receiving more education and have more wealth and disposable income, year on year.
The latest measurement of Australia’s progress, as collated by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, shows how Australia is doing economically, socially and environmentally.
Measures of Australia's progress summary
Work: As of July 2009, unemployment sat at 6.2%. This figure is up due to the global recession; in October 2007 the unemployment rate was just 4.3%.
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 0.9% each year between June 1998 and June 2008, reaching almost $280,000 in 2008.
National income: There was significant growth to Australia’s real income over the last decade. Between 1997-98 and 2007-08, real net national disposable income per person grew on average by 2.8% a year, considerably faster than during the preceding 20 years.
Productivity growth: During the decade 1997-98 to 2007-08, productivity growth and multifactor productivity rose by an average of 0.8% per year.
Crime: The rates of household crimes (break-ins and motor vehicle theft) fell from 9.0% in 1998 to 6.2% in 2005.
Health: Australians are living longer. Life expectancy at birth improved during 1997 to 2007. A boy born in 2007 could expect to live to 79, while a girl could expect to reach 84. This means an increase of three years for both sexes over the last decade.
Education: Between 1998 and 2008, the proportion of 25-64 year olds with a non-school qualification (i.e. university or college education) rose from 47% to 61%. This upward trend has been continuing for decades.
Social wellbeing
A separate ABS report on social wellbeing showed that more than half of Australian adults (54%) 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% saying they knew someone in an organisation that they felt comfortable contacting.
Most people (93%) felt that in a time of crisis they could get support from people living outside their household, including family and friends.
