Trends and statistics
This page aims to provide links to Australian research centres and organisations that include statistical material on their websites, and to a selection of recent individual online documents which provide access to family related statistics, and/or discuss such statistics. References to the online documents are taken from Australian Family & Society Abstracts, the Institute's bibliographic database, which also provides information about many other published statistical resources not currently available on the web.
See also the Institute's Family Facts & Figures series of charts on family and household statistics.
To view PDF files you will need Acrobat Reader which is available free from the Adobe website.
- WEB SITES
- ONLINE DOCUMENTS
- Aged
- Ageing of the population
- Children and young people
- Cohabitation
- Employment and unemployment
- Families
- Homelessness
- Housing
- Income and income support
- Indigenous people
- Marriage and divorce
- Population
- Sexual assault (on the Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault website)
- Suicide
Web Sites
- Australian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's official statistical organisation. Online resources are Australia Now, which provides a series of statistical profiles and articles covering the economic and social conditions of contemporary Australia, together with their administrative and legislative background; and Themes, which present main features from a range of ABS publications on topics such as: Demography; Families, children and older people; Indigenous; Regional statistics, etc. - Australian
Department of Family and Community Services
Amongst the many Departmental publications available online are fact sheets on a range of topics, for example: research, child care, tax reform, welfare reform, and youth programs. - Australian Department of Immigration
and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs
Online Fact Sheets provide background information on Australian immigration and related issues. - Australian Institute of Criminology
Online resources include the Trends and issues in crime and criminal justice series, the series 'Crime facts info' which aims to provide topical excerpts from recent Australian Institute of Criminology research, and a wide range of papers from conferences on a variety of topics, including crime and older people, victims and offenders, and paedophilia. - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
As well as presenting health and welfare statistics and information, topics covered in AIHW's wide range of online publications include diseases, disability, hospital statistics, nursing home and hostel statistics, health expenditure, and drug use. - Centre for Economic Policy Research, Australian National University
Discussion papers from the CEPR are available online, and cover topics such as: sole parents, income support and family wellbeing; changes in the intergenerational distribution of male labour market income; joblessness in families with dependent children; the changing pattern of immigrants' labour market experiences. - Centre for Labour Market Research, Murdoch University
The CLMR discussion paper series is available online, covering topics such as: Trends in rural labour markets; Determinants of Australian full-time earnings; The youth labour market in Australia; Youth employment, unemployment and school participation. - Luxembourg Income Study
The LIS, a cooperative research project with a membership that includes 25 countries including Australia, is a collection of household income surveys. These surveys provide demographic, income and expenditure information on three different levels: household, person and child. The LIS Working Paper series is published electronically. - National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling, University of Canberra
NATSEM discussion papers are available online. Some recent topics covered include costs to Australia of early school-leaving; social security, ageing and income distribution in Australia; trends in child poverty in Australia: 1982 to 1995-96; who pays the tax burden in Australia; private transfers across Australian generations.
Online Documents
Aged
- Ageing and aged care
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - Publications
Listing of the full range of AIHW publications on ageing and aged care. - Australia's health 2004: the ninth biennial health report of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2004, 528p, tables, figures (AIHW cat.no. Aus 44), and Online
This report outlines both achievements in the area of the health of Australians and their health services as well some challenges. It includes a special article focusing on the age groups 65-74 years, 75-84 years, and 85 years and over, providing details on demographic trends, health conditions and disability among these older people. - Australia's welfare 2005
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2005, 500p, tables, figures, and Online
This seventh biennial report outlines the broad context in order to describe the overall welfare of Australians. It includes a chapter on ageing and aged care. - Beyond three score years and ten: prospects for longevity in Australia
Canberra, ACT: Demography and Sociology Program, Australian National University, 2003, 11p (Working papers in demography no.92), Online only (PDF 68K)
An examination of longevity prospects of Australians who are 50 years or older with sex and age specific mortality forecasts for three separate cohorts of this population. Implications of longevity at the individual level for the baby boomer and older cohorts are discussed. - Carers in Australia: assisting frail older people and people with a disability
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2004, 93p, tables, figures, (Aged care series no.8), and Online
Drawing on the results of the 1998 ABS Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, and other key studies of Australian carers, this report looks at 'informal care' - the work of those who provide care to adults and children who require the assistance of others because of disability, including age-related frailty. - Caring for the elderly - an overview of aged care support and services in Australia
Canberra, ACT: Department of the Parliamentary Library, E-Brief April 2003 update, Online only
This E-brief gives an overview of the array of services and support provided to the elderly in Australia, with a major focus on Commonwealth support and assistance. - Community Aged Care Packages Census 2002: a report of the census conducted in 2002
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2004, 155p, statistical tables, figures (Aged care statistics no.17), and Online
A Community Aged Care Package (CACP) is a planned and coordinated package of community care services to assist a person who requires management of services because of their complex care needs. The census of the CACP Program was conducted 16 September 2002 to 14 October 2002. - Community Aged Care Packages in Australia 2003-04: a statistical overview
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2005, 53p, tables, figures, (Aged care statistics series no.21), and Online
This report presents key statistics on the levels of service provision of the Community Aged Care Packages program. Detailed statistics on the socio-demographic characteristics of package recipients and the patterns of the recipients' admissions and separations are also provided. - Disability, Ageing and Carers
Online - Australian Bureau of Statistics - Themes - Disability, Ageing and Carers
This themes page includes links to Australian yearbook special articles, and to relevant 'Main features' of key ABS publications. - Disability in older Australians: projections for 2006-2031
Medical Journal of Australia v.179 no.3 Aug 2003: 130-133, tables, figures, and Online
Projections are presented for the prevalence of disability and associated common health conditions for older Australians for the period 2006 - 2031. - Elder abuse prevention in Queensland
Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research Newsletter v.2 no.3 Mar 2004: 2-3, and Online (PDF 1.3MG whole issue)
This report presents statistics relating to the use of Queensland's Elder Abuse Prevention Unit services, and looks at who commits elder abuse. - Extended Aged Care at Home census 2002
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2004, 70p, figures, tables (Aged care statistics no.15), and Online
This publication presents the results of a national data collection of Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) program providers and care recipients. It provides insight into the needs and circumstances of those accessing this care and information on current service delivery patterns. - Feeling blue? The importance of a confidant for the wellbeing of older rural married Australian and American men
In: Exploring the meaning of ageing through practice, policy and research: Australian Association of Gerontology 38th National Conference, Surfers Paradise, Queensland, November 2005. Belconnen, ACT: Australian Association of Gerontology, 2005, p88-99, tables, Online only (whole volume PDF 1372K)
This study investigated the prevalence and predictors of mild depression among older married men living in rural areas of Australia and the United States, looking at how demographic factors, health, pain, functional limitations and social networks differed according to nationality. - Linking hospital morbidity and residential aged care data: examining matching due to chance
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2004, 52p, tables, figures, and Online
This paper examines the effectiveness of the strategy of linking hospital morbidity and residential aged care data in a range of situations and considers when and why it would be useful. It looks at false matches, missed matches, probability of chance matches, and data quality. - Marriage dissolution and health amongst the elderly: the role of social and economic resources
Melbourne, Vic: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne, 2004, 29p, tables, figures, Online (PDF 107K)
This paper examines the association between marital status and self reported general health in a population sample of Australian men and women aged 60 and over. - Modelling spatial distribution of disability in older persons and the need for aged care in New South Wales
In: Australian Social Policy Conference 2005. Sydney, NSW: Social Policy Research Centre, 2005, 28p, Online only (MS Word)
This paper describes the spatial microsimulation modelling and small area estimation techniques developed to estimate disability levels and need for aged care in persons aged 55 years or above living in NSW, and presents preliminary results. - Older Australia at a glance
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 3rd ed., 2002, 115p and Online
Comprehensive demographic data are presented about ageing and aged care. - Older patients attending general practice in Australia 2000-02
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, GP Statistics and Classification Unit, 2003, 147p, tables, figures (General practice series no.12) and Online
This report examines: characteristics of older patients attending general practice; reasons they attend; management of their conditions; risk factors for ill health amongst older patients; changes affecting older patients over the last decade; chronic conditions managed in older patients; and the effect of government initiatives in general practice for the management of older patients. - Older people in Tasmania: a profile 2003
Hobart, Tas: Seniors Bureau, Department of Premier and Cabinet, 2003, 43p, tables, figures, Online (PDF 595K)
A statistical snapshot of older people in Tasmania: population; health and wellbeing; community participation and interests; income and expenditure; transport; and housing. - Residential aged care in Australia 2004-05: a statistical overview.
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2006, 91p, tables, figures (Aged Care Statistics Series no.22), and Online
This annual report presents statistics on the Australian residential aged care system. It contains information on the number, size and location of residential aged care services, patterns of service use by residents, resident characteristics, and levels of dependency among residents. - Retirement and retirement intentions, Australia, Aug 2004 to Jun 2005
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006, statistical tables (ABS catalogue no.6238.0) Online only
This publication presents information about retirement and retirement intentions of people aged 45 years and over who have, at some time, worked for two weeks or more. The data examines retirement trends, factors which influence decisions to retire, and the income arrangements, such as superannuation, that retirees and potential retirees have made to provide for their retirement. - Social security payments for the aged, people with disabilities and carers 1909 to 2003
Canberra, ACT: Department of the Parliamentary Library, Chronologies Online, Jan 2003 update, Online only
This chronology is issued electronically, and will be kept up-to-date online. It traces the history of each of the payments made by the Department of Social Security for aged people, people with disabilities and carers, from their introduction to the present day. - The health of older people: main features
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004, (ABS catalogue no.4827.0.55.001), Online
The summary data presented include: health conditions; mental health; disability and carers; use of hospital / medical services; private health insurance; risk factors; general characteristics; well being; life expectancy; and causes of death. - The new frontier of health and aged care: using microsimulation to assess policy options
Canberra, ACT: National Centre Social and Economic Modelling, University of Canberra, 2004, 27p, figures, (Online Conference Paper - CP0413), Online only (PDF 271K)
The paper describes two examples of the use of microsimulation in analysing health and aged care policy: the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and the need for aged care services in New South Wales. - Three dimensions of retirement: aspirations, expectations and outcomes
In: HILDA Survey Research Conference 2005: papers. Parkville, Vic: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne, 2005, 42p, figures, tables, Online (PDF 262K)
Using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, this paper examines the relationships between the aspirations, expectations and outcomes for older people in Australia, including financial position and happiness in retirement.
Ageing of the population
- Ageing and healthcare costs in Australia: a case of policy-based evidence?
Medical Journal of Australia v.180 no.11 Jun 2004: 581-583, figure and Online
This article challenges predictions that the ageing of the population will result in skyrocketing health costs, and suggests reasons why pessimism about population ageing is popular in policy debates. - Ageing-in-place? Intergenerational and intra-familial housing transfers and shifts in later life
Melbourne, Vic: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, 2004, 77p, tables, figures, (Positioning paper), Online
This paper provides conceptual frameworks for a forthcoming national empirical research study which will examine how older people use and dispose of their housing wealth; it also details demographic changes which affect Australia's ageing population with particular regard to their ownership of housing assets. - Ageing population
In: In search of sustainability - ISOS Online Conference, February - November 2003 - Speakers papers - Labour force and work - selected papers, 3p, Online only (PDF 97K)
The author challenges the notion of the 'burden' of too many elderly people, states that around the world a higher average age is associated with better quality of life, and questions why statistics suggest that we should fear an increase in the average age. - Ageing yet diverse: the changing shape of Australia's population
Melbourne, Vic: Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2001, 6p (Australian family briefing no.10), and Online
The focus of this paper is on the changing demographic face of Australia, its age structure, sex ratio and cultural diversity. It also explores implications for future older Australians and their families. - An ageing Australia: small beer or big bucks?
Melbourne, Vic: Productivity Commission, 2004, 31p. Address to the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies, Economic Briefing, April 2004, Online only
The issue of ageing in the context of demography as a powerful force is discussed. Two questions are focused on: what might happen to Australia's labour supply as people age, and what are the implications for our economic growth? - Analysing Australia's ageing population: a demographic picture
Canberra, ACT: National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling, University of Canberra, 2005, 5p, (NATSEM Conference paper CP0512), Online only (PDF 183K)
The decline in fertility allied with longer lifespan is creating population ageing, where a growing proportion of the population is aged 65 years and over. - Australia's demographic challenges: discussion paper
Canberra, ACT: Australian Treasury, 2004, 32p, Online
Policy responses to the demographic challenges raised in the Government's Intergenerational Report are mooted in this discussion paper. - Australia's fertility rate: trends and issues
Canberra, ACT: Department of Family and Community Services, 2001, 4p, figures (Research FaCS sheet no.9 2001) and Online (PDF 104K)
A statistical overview is provided of: the ageing of the population; falling fertility in Australia; impact on population structure; comparison with the situation overseas; and the role immigration can play. - Australian social trends 2004
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004, 208p, tables, charts (ABS catalogue no.4102.0) and Online
The Population chapter includes a section called Scenarios for Australia's ageing population. - Diversity among older Australians in capital cities 1996-2011
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2004, 20p, (AIHW Bulletin no.18), and Online (PDF 565K)
This analysis focuses on the Australian migrant population, showing that the population of older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds is growing faster than for other older Australians. - Economic implications for an ageing Australia: submission to the Productivity Commission
Fitzroy, Vic: Brotherhood of St Laurence, 2004, 10p, tables, figures, Online (PDF 70K)
This submission addresses issues including: potential economic implications of future demographic trends for labour supply; the future supply of informal care for older Australians; effects on future housing needs of older Australians on low incomes; different fiscal implications of ageing for different levels of government. - Innovation in ageing for regional communities: planning for productive ageing in the Wide Bay/Burnett region of Queensland
In: Exploring the meaning of ageing through practice, policy and research: Australian Association of Gerontology 38th National Conference, Surfers Paradise, Queensland, November 2005. Belconnen, ACT: Australian Association of Gerontology, 2005, p123-134, maps, tables, Online only (whole volume PDF 1372K)
The Program of Innovation in Ageing for Regional Communities aims to assist regional communities to better understand and address increases in the percentage of older people in their populations. - Inquiry into long-term strategies to address the ageing
of the Austalian population over the next 40 years
Canberra, ACT: Department of Family and Community Services, 2003, 55p, figures, (Occasional paper no.8), and Online
This submission considers the effects of demographic change in Australia and how they can be addressed. It identifies four main strategies to address the economic, budgetary and social impacts of structural ageing. - Intergenerational report 2002-03
Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia, 2002, 94p, tables, figures (Budget paper no.5), and Online
This report provides a basis for considering the government's financial outlook over the long term, identifying issues associated with an ageing population. Sections are: Maintaining sustainable government finances; Australia's long-term demographic and economic prospects; Projections for spending and revenue; and Overall results. - Labour force ageing: its impact on employment level and structure: the cases from Japan and Australia
In: Population and society: issues, research, policy: Australian Population Association 12th Biennial Conference, 15-17 September 2004, Canberra. Canberra, ACT: ACSPRI Centre for Social Research, Australian National University, 2004, 40p, figures, Online only (PDF 1327K)
This study compares Japan and Australia in different stages of ageing, examining the relationship between changes in the age structure of the population aged 15 years and over and employment on the aggregate and industrial level. - Mature age workers: sustaining our future labour force
In: An Ageless Workforce - Opportunities for Business Symposium, 27 August, 2003 - Papers. Canberra, ACT: Department of Health and Ageing, 2003, 7p, Online only (PDF 108K)
This paper examines data relating to large-scale demographic trends. It includes information about the ageing population, the ageing workforce, industry restructuring and mature age workers. - Opportunities for business
In: An Ageless Workforce - Opportunities for Business Symposium, 27 August, 2003: papers. Canberra, ACT: Department of Health and Ageing, 2003, 4p, Online only (PDF 68K)
A summary of statistics that show that Australia's workforce is shrinking and ageing is presented. Three themes are discussed: employment pathways for older workers; perceptions about older workers; and the need for older workers to share in the responsibility of securing their financial future. - Population by age and sex, Australia, June 2005
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006, (ABS catalogue no.3235.0.55.001), Online
This overview includes a summary of population size and distribution; median age; number of persons in different age ranges; and sex ratio.
See also Population by age and sex, States and Territories below. - Population projections Australia, 2004 to 2101
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005, 149p, tables, figures (ABS catalogue no.3222.0) Online (PDF 3.25MB)
This publication contains projections of the resident population of Australia, the states and territories, capital cities and balance of states, by 5-year age groups and sex, for selected years from 2004 to 2101. - Productivity Commission submission to the Review of Pricing Arrangements in Residential Aged Care
Melbourne, Vic: Productivity Commission, 2003, 149p, Online
This submission analyses the current funding and delivery arrangements for aged care services; the implications of ageing, trends in disability rates and other key influences on the future demand for, and cost of, residential and other aged care services; the merits of reform options. - The future aged: new projections of Australia's elderly population
Canberra: Demography and Sociology Program, Australian National University, 2003, 11p (Working papers in demography no.90), Online only (PDF 64K)
This paper outlines the use of the Lee-Carter method to forecast mortality for use in projections of the elderly population in Australia in 2031. The results of the Lee-Carter forecasting are compared with official projections, showing that official figures underestimate the size of the elderly population, particularly the female and oldest to old populations. - The Intergenerational Report: myths and solutions
Newcastle, NSW: Centre for Full Employment and Equity, University of Newcastle, 2003, 14p, (CofFEE Working paper 03-10), Online (PDF 81K)
The authors of this paper 'challenge the validity of the accounting exercise in the Federal Government's Intergenerational Report at its most elemental level and conclude that the mainstream debate is misguided at best.'
Children and young people
- 2004 census of child care services
Canberra, ACT: Department of Family and Community Services, 2005, 241p, tables, figures, and Online
The 2004 Census of Child Care Services provides details of child care users, staff and carers, and operational details of the child care services funded through Australian Government Child Care Support. - 2005 overview: what is concerning children and young people in Australia?
Milton, Qld: Kids Help Line, 2006, 12p, figures, tables, Online (PDF 2904K)
Information about children and young people who sought help through Kids Help Line telephone and online counselling during 2005 is presented. The report looks at: number of calls and web and email contacts; reason for the contact; geographic area; gender; cultural and linguistic background; and age. - A picture of Australia's children
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2005, 119p, tables, figures, and Online
This national statistical report on the health, development and well being of Australia's children aged 0-14 years includes: an overview of the Australian child population; child health, development and wellbeing; the role of family and community; and looks at future directions in monitoring the health, development and wellbeing of Australia's children. - Adoptions Australia 2003-04
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2004, 55p, tables, figures (Child welfare series no.35), and Online
Presents adoption statistics provided by state and territory community services departments for the period 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004. - Australian social trends 2004
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004, 208p, tables, charts (ABS catalogue no.4102.0) and Online
The chapter on Work includes a section on Young people in employment. The chapter on Family and community has a section on Formal child care. - Australian Youth Facts and Stats
Hobart, Tas: Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies, Online
This site provides facts and statistics about Australia's youth - how many there are, what they do and what they're like. - Australia's children: their health and wellbeing 2002
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2002, 349p, tables, figures, and Online
Povides comprehensive information on the current and long-term status of children's health, and on the risk and protective factors influencing their health and wellbeing. - Australia's welfare 2005
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2005, 500p, tables, figures, and Online
This seventh biennial report outlines the broad context in order to describe the overall welfare of Australians. It includes a chapter on children, youth and families. - Child abuse: 2004-05
Red Hill, Qld: Kids Help Line, 2005, 4p, tables, figures, (Infosheet no.3) Online only (PDF 67K)
The number and nature of calls to Kids Help Line concerning child abuse during 2004-05 are discussed in this information sheet. - Child care: Australia, June 2005 (Reissue): main features
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006, (ABS catalogue no.4402.0), Online
This document shows that, in June 2005, 1,553,400 (46%) children aged less than 12 years used some type of child care in the reference week. - Child protection Australia 2004-05
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2006, 81p, tables, figures, (Child welfare series no.38), and Online
Detailed information on the characteristics of children in the child protection system is presented, specifically data on their age, sex and Indigenous status. - Child support scheme: facts and figures 2004-05
Belconnen, ACT: Child Support Agency, Department of Human Services, 2006, 66p, tables, figures, and Online (PDF 1MB)
This report provides statistics and other information, collected from agencies and government departments, about the Child Support Scheme for the period 2004-2005. - Children and Youth Statistics
Australian Bureau of Statistics - Themes
This themes page provides a guide to ABS and non-ABS data, statistics and information on aspects of children and youth. The page is administered by the National Children and Youth Statistics Unit, created in July 2003 in response to the need for a statistical evidence base to support community and government policy related to children and youth. - Children with disabilities in Australia
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2004, 117p, tables, figures, (AIHW cat.no.DIS38), and Online
This report presents a profile of children with disabilities, and their families, in Australia, examining their needs and circumstances; and looks at the services, benefits and assistance provided to children with disabilities. - Demographic profile: Australia, 2001
Sydney, NSW: Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, 2006, 13p, tables, Online (PDF 208K) This publication provides a demographic profile of Australia as at August 2001, including information on children aged less than five years; Indigenous children aged less than five years; and families - Developing resilience at every stage of a young person's life: snapshot
Sydney, NSW: Mission Australia, 2005, 4p, tables, figures, Online (PDF 104K)
This snapshot provides a demographic profile of older Australian children (6 to 16 years of age), outlines new evidence about brain development and key points of effective intervention, and highlights the importance of developing resilience at every stage of a young person's life. - Disability updates: children with disabilities
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2006, 23p, figures, table (Bulletin no.42), and Online
This bulletin updates information on disability among Australian children (aged up to 14 years), describing the number of children with disabilities, the types of disability they have, their experience in school, and the needs of their carers. - Health of children: main features
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004, (ABS catalogue no.4829.0.55.001), Online
Summary information is presented on the health and well being of Australian children, covering conditions in childhood, causes of death, reasons for hospital and general practitioner visits, types of mental disorders and level of disability. - How young people are faring: key indicators 2004:
an update about the learning and work situation of young Australians
Glebe, NSW: Dusseldorp Skills Forum, 2004, 50p, tables, figures, and Online (PDF 738K)
Statistics on young people's learning and work circumstances are presented and analysed in this report, including: difficulty in the transition from school to work; lack of reduction in long term youth unemployment; the shift from apprenticeships to traineeships to meet skills shortages; and Australia's failure to keep pace with developments in OECD countries. - How young people are faring: key indicators 2003:
an update about the learning and work situation of young Australians including an analysis of how young Indigenous people are faring
Ultimo, NSW: Dusseldorp Skills Forum, 2003, 50p, tables, figures, and Online (PDF 307K)
Three main indicators are discussed: Proportion of the population aged 15 to 19 years not in full-time education and not in full-time employment in Australia and for each State and Territory; Ratio of the unemployment rate among 15 to 24 year olds to the unemployment rate among 25 to 54 year olds, comparing Australia with other OECD countries; Proportion of the Australian population aged 20 to 24 years that have completed Year 12 or a post-secondary qualification. - Indicators of social exclusion for Australia's children:
an analysis by State and age group
Canberra, ACT: National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling, University of Canberra, 2006, 56p, figures, tables, maps (NATSEM Conference paper CP0607), Online (PDF 929K)
This paper presents some results for the spatial distribution of children at risk of social exclusion in Australia. - Pathways to social and emotional wellbeing: lessons from a 20-year longitudinal study
In: Research Conference 2004 - Supporting Student Wellbeing - Conference proceedings. Melbourne, Vic: Australian Council for Educational Research, 2004, p72-79, tables, figures, Online (Full proceedings - PDF 2.24MB)
This paper presents summary statistics on the Australian Temperament Project sample at 19-20 years of age and discusses four aspects of development: civic mindedness; anxiety and depression; antisocial behaviour; and resilience against antisocial behaviour. - Poverty: children and young people in Australia
Sydney, NSW: Mission Australia, 2004, 4p, tables, Online (PDF 59K)
Looks at poverty in Australia with a focus on children and young people, including statistics on how many children and young Austrlians 15-24 years are living in poverty and their characteristics. - Profile of young Australians: facts, figures and issues
Melbourne, Vic: The Foundation for Young Australians, 2005, various pagings, Online
Looks at the lives of young people in Australia, drawing on data gathered from a wide variety of organisations. - Rural and regional young people and transport: improving access to transport for young people in rural and regional Australia
Canberra, ACT: Department of Family and Community Services, 2005, 76p, figures, tables, maps, Online (PDF 771K)
This paper discusses transport issues for rural and regional young people, and includes information on: impacts of lack of transport on young people; demographic information on the population of rural and regional Australia; young people, unemployment and income; young people and education; the views of young people; transport issues and problems; impacts of transport problems on young people. - Schools, Australia, 2005
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006, (ABS catalogue no.4221.0), Online
Information is provided in this overview document about numbers of schools in Australia; whether government or non-government; number of students; number of Indigenous full-time school students; age participation rates; apparent retention rates; and staff. - Snapshot: children and young people in Queensland 2005
Brisbane, Qld: Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian, 2005, 93p, tables, figures, and Online
The publication draws together data from a range of state and national sources about the health and well being of children and young people in Queensland. It shows an ongoing high level of disadvantage for Indigenous children and young people. - Trends in long day care services for children in Australia, 1991-99
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2002, 75p, tables, figures (Children Services series no.4), and Online
Long day care services for children grew rapidly in the 1990s, opening for longer hours and offering a greater variety of different services than ever before. - Trends in the numbers of children and young people in out-of-home care in NSW
Sydney, NSW: NSW Centre for Parenting and Research, Department of Community Services, 2005, 15p, (Occasional paper), Online (PDF 199K)
This paper provides an overview of recent trends in the numbers of children and young people in out-of-home care in New South Wales, alternative accommodation for children and young people who are unable to live with their parents. The number of children and young people in out-of-home care in NSW on 30 June 2004 was 10,337. - Youth in regional Western Australia: feature article in Western Australian Statistical Indicators, Sept 2005
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005 (ABS catalogue no.1367.5), Online only
This article provides a statistical snapshot of young people aged 15 - 24 in Western Australia at the time of the 2001 Census of Population and Housing. It draws attention to their differing circumstances, comparing youth residing in metropolitan Perth to those in other regional areas.
Cohabitation
- Changing patterns of partnering
Family Matters no.64 Autumn 2003: 10-15, table, figures and Online (PDF 237K)
The authors argue that taking a longer-term perspective provides a better understanding of the way in which men and women form partnered relationships. Striking changes in the past 25 years include the increasing tendency for people to live together without marrying (cohabitation) at some stage in their lives and the fall in first marriage and remarriage rates. - Does premarital cohabitation affect the chances of marriage lasting? Summary paper
In: 8th Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference, Melbourne, 12-14 February 2003: proceedings. Melbourne, Vic: Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2003, 8p, Online only (PDF 25K)
Three datasets are employed to address the questions: Is the separation rate for indirect marriages higher than that for direct marriages if the overall length of the relationship is taken into account? If there are overall differences in the separation rate for indirect and direct marriages, have they diminished for more recent birth cohorts? How have any selective factors that exist changed across birth cohorts? - Expectations of marriage among cohabiting couples
Family Matters no.64 Autumn 2003: 36-39, table, figures and Online (PDF 179K)
This paper first examines links between the expectations of marriage of cohabiting men and women and their previous marital status, their age, and the length of their cohabiting relationship. It then looks at the extent to which both partners share the same or similar view on their prospects of marrying each other. - Marriages, Australia 2004
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005 (ABS catalogue no.3306.0.55.001), Online only
Includes details on cohabitation prior to marriage. - Pathways from cohabitation
In: HILDA Survey Research Conference 2005: papers. Parkville, Vic: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne, 2005, 31p, tables, figures, Online (PDF 675K)
This study seeks to identify the factors that discriminate between cohabiting couples who choose to marry, those who choose to separate, and those who continue to cohabit. Three waves of HILDA data are used to explore the characteristics of those who follow these different pathways. - Premarital cohabitation and marital stability
In: HILDA Conference 2003. Melbourne, Vic: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, 2003, 20p, tables, Online only (PDF 345K)
This paper asks the following questions: (a) Has the relationship between pathway to marriage and marital stability diminished for more recent birth cohorts? (b) Is any difference in stability between direct and indirect marriages due to the period in which stability is measured (that is, since marriage rather than since the start of the living-together union)? (c) To what extent is any difference in stability due to systematic differences in the characteristics of those who choose the alternative pathways to marriage or cohabitations failure to 'screen out' unsuitable matches? - Starting out together: through cohabitation or marriage
Family Matters no.60 Spring - Summer 2001: 76-79, graphs and Online (PDF 240K)
Increasing numbers of couples are cohabiting, although the majority still eventually marry. The Australian Life Course Study highlights the changing trends in relationship formation and subsequent pathways.
Employment and unemployment
- An analysis of trends and characteristics of the older workforce: final report.
Sydney, NSW: Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales - SPRC reports, 2001, 74p, tables, figures (SPRC Reports 3/01), Online only (PDF 478K)
The report examines four related areas: the relationship between employment outcomes and the personal and household characteristics of older people (those aged 50 to retirement age); the income implications for different employment outcomes of older persons; flows in and out of employment for older persons; and, the geographical distribution of employment of older people. - Australian social trends 2004
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004, 208p, tables, charts (ABS catalogue no.4102.0) and Online
The chapter on Work covers: Young people in employment; Mature age workers; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the labour force; and Community service workers. One of the sections in the chapter on International comparisons covers work. The chapter on Family and community includes a section called Families with no employed parent. - Barriers and incentives to labour force participation, Australia, Aug 2004 to Jun 2005
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006, statistical tables (ABS catalogue no.6239.0) Online only
This publication focuses on people who are 18 years and over who are either not employed or work very few hours (0-15 hours), providing information on the potential labour force and the characteristics of that potential labour force. - Census of Population and Housing:
selected education and labour force characteristics, Australia: main features
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2003, (ABS catalogue no.2017.0), Online
Data presented include size of the labour force; number employed, full and part time; occupation; industry; number unemployed; level of education; and field of study. - Country matters:
social atlas of rural and regional Australia
Kingston, ACT: Bureau of Rural Sciences, 2004, 125p, illus, maps and Online
Labour force is the topic of one of the sections in this social atlas. - Equal opportunity for women in the workplace survey 2004: paid maternity leave
Canberra, ACT: Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA), 2005, 28p, tables, figures, Online (PDF 436K)
Results for the 2004 annual EOWA survey of reporting organisations from questions about provision and duration of, and access to, paid maternity leave. - Families, incomes and jobs: a statistical report of the HILDA Survey
Parkville, Vic: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne, 2006, 108p, tables, figures, (Statistical report), Online
Based on the first three waves of data collected by the HILDA Survey, this report includes a section on employment and unemployment. - How young people are faring: key indicators 2004: an update about the learning and work situation of young Australians
Glebe, NSW: Dusseldorp Skills Forum, 2004, 50p, tables, figures, and Online (PDF 738K)
Statistics on young people's learning and work circumstances are presented and analysed in this report. The report addresses questions of: difficulty in the transition from school to work; lack of reduction in long term youth unemployment, despite general economic growth; the shift from apprenticeships to traineeships to meet skills shortages; and Australia's failure to keep pace with developments in OECD countries, despite rising levels of educational attainment among young people. - Jobs in the new labour market: changes in type and distribution
Canberra, ACT: Department of Family and Community Services, 2001, 77p, tables, figures (Policy research paper no.15), and Online (PDF 307K)
Statistics are presented which provide a picture of the composition of the employed labour force over the last 30 years by age, sex, family status and hours of work, and of tendencies for working life to be abbreviated at one end by extended formal education and at the other by non-employment, particularly of older men. - Labour force ageing: its impact on employment level and structure: the cases from Japan and Australia
In: Population and society: issues, research, policy: Australian Population Association 12th Biennial Conference, 15-17 September 2004, Canberra. Canberra, ACT: ACSPRI Centre for Social Research, Australian National University, 2004, 40p, figures, Online only (PDF 1327K)
This study compares Japan and Australia in different stages of ageing. Includes: the ageing of labour supplies; labour market consequences and relevant policy options; the ageing of the employed;contribution of demographic and economic factors at different stages of ageing; effects of changing age composition and employment rates on total employment; and future population trends and policy challenges. - Labour force, Australia
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, (ABS catalogue no.6202.0), Online
This publication, updated monthly, provides estimates based on a sample survey on employment and unemployment trends. Unemployment rates and participation rates are included, with monthly changes noted. - Labour force status and other characteristics of migrants, Australia, Nov 2004
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005, 3p, (ABS catalogue no.6250.0), Online
Data collected in the Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Migrants survey is summarised here, including: number of migrants; employment; unemployment; labour force participation; and qualifications. - Labour market adjustment in regional Australia
Sydney, NSW: Reserve Bank of Australia, 2002, 36p, tables (Research discussion paper 2002-04), and Online (PDF 422K)
Using a new and comprehensive regional database that draws on data from both the census and government departments, the authors identify the economic characteristics of regions. They use logit models to establish the significant characteristics of those regions that have experienced large changes in employment and large migration flows. Finally, the key drivers of regional disparities in performance are assessed. - Managing care and work, New South Wales, October 2005
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006, 22p, statistical tables (ABS catalogue no.4912.0) Online (PDF 9.94MB)
This publication summarises results from the Managing Care and Work survey, conducted throughout NSW. It presents information on the relationship between people's unpaid caring responsibilities and their work situation during the six months prior to the survey. - Money, money, money - is this a rich man's world? Trends in spatial income inequality, 1996 to 2001
Sydney, NSW: AMP Society, 2004, 20p, maps, tables (AMP.NATSEM Income and Wealth Report no.8), Online (PDF 1.04MB)
This report examines statistics from the 1996 and 2001 Censuses by postcode. Questions explored relating to employment are: who has benefited from the past few years of strong economic growth and falling unemployment; and a comparison of income, education, employment and home ownership differences between the top 10% and bottom 10%. There is also consideration of the situation of Indigenous Australians and immigrants. - Population characteristics: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2003, 144p, statistical tables (ABS catalogue no.4713.0), Online
Labour force characteristics covered include participation, unemployment, employment, Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) participation, occupation and income. - Second generation Australians
Canberra, ACT: Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, 2002, 148p, tables, figures and Online
Among the socioeconomic and demographic outcomes examined in this study are educational attainment, employment, occupational status, language shift and family formation patterns. The study also explores the issue of intergenerational mobility by examining whether the second generation's outcomes are related to their parents' socioeconomic background. - The extent and consequences of underemployment in Australia
Melbourne, Vic: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne, 2004, 47p, tables, (Working paper no.16/04), Online (PDF 375K)
This paper assess the extent and significance of underemployment in Australia, including descriptive statistics on the extent of underemployment. The outcomes associated with underemployment are also examined. - The future of Indigenous work: forecasts of labour force status to 2011
Canberra, ACT: Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, Australian National University, 2003, 23p, tables (CAEPR discussion paper no.251/2003) and Online (PDF 367K)
This paper uses demographic techniques to make valid comparisons over time, and hence facilitate estimates of future employment levels against projected population growth. The 2001 Census data reveal no improvement in the overall position of Indigenous people in the labour market since 1996. Because of a growing Indigenous working-age population, new estimates of future job growth point to a lowering of employment rates and rising unemployment over the remainder of this decade. - The future of work
In: In search of sustainability - ISOS Online Conference, February - November 2003 - Speakers papers - Labour force and work - Keynote - 6p, Online only (PDF 117K)
Outlines what has happened to work and the workforce over the past 25 years; what has happened to the rewards from work; the broad changes that have occurred in the institutions associated with work; and their predictions of what will happen to work in the future, and the implications of these developments. - The growth of jobless households in Australia
Parkville, Vic: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne, 2001, 28p, tables, figures (Melbourne Institute working paper no.3/01), Online (PDF 84K)
Increasing numbers of children are now living in households with no earned income. The aim of this paper is to reveal the actual extent of joblessness at the household level using a single data source - the Australian Income and Housing Costs Survey. Patterns of joblessness and poverty are explored along with how these patterns have evolved since 1982. - The impact of long working hours on employed fathers and their families
In: Australian Social Policy Conference, 9-11 July 2003 - Papers. Sydney, NSW: Social Policy Research Centre, 2003, 29p, tables, Online only (163K)
This paper uses data from the first wave of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey to examine links between aspects of work hours (most particularly, the number of hours usually worked and the satisfaction with this regime), other employment circumstances, family characteristics, perceptions of work-family balance, and wellbeing across various other domains of personal and family life. - The labour force experience of new migrants
Canberra, ACT: Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, 2001, 108p, Online
Changes in the labour market experiences of migrants who arrived in Australia between September 1999 and August 2000 (Cohort 2), compared with those who arrived in Australia during the period September 1993 and August 1995 (Cohort 1) are examined, with a focus on the labour market outcomes of the two cohorts. These outcomes are expressed in terms of employment, unemployment, nonemployment and earnings. - Unemployment among older workers: snapshot 2004
Sydney, NSW: Mission Australia, 2004, 4p, Online (PDF 71K)
Older workers (workers aged 45 and above) account for nearly a quarter of those who are officially unemployed. This snapshot focuses on the current difficulties faced by unemployed older workers. It reviews recent research and policy initiatives to identify emerging developments and strategies to help unemployed older workers regain employment. - Who cares? Volume 2. Employment structure and incomes in the Australian care workforce
Strawberry Hills, NSW: Australian Council of Social Service, 2005, 107p, tables, figures (ACOSS paper no.141), and Online (PDF 2.56MB)
Presents a profile of Australia's paid care workers using data from the Census of Population and Housing 1996 and 2001. - Why do disparities in employment growth across metropolitan and regional space occur?
Newcastle, NSW: Centre for Full Employment and Equity, University of Newcastle, 2003, 34p, tables, figures (CofFEE Working paper 03-09), Online (PDF 202K)
The authors seek to develop a better understanding of the disparities in employment growth across regions which appear to account for the observed persistence in the disparities with respect to unemployment outcomes. - Youth unemployment: aggregate incidence and consequences for individuals
Canberra, ACT: Centre for Economic Policy Research, Australian National University, 2002, 24p, tables (CEPR discussion paper no.459), and Online (PDF 273K)
This paper analyses the incidence and impact of unemployment among young Australians (those aged 15-24 years). The patterns and trends in unemployment are described and explained, and an analysis of the transitions between statuses within the labour force and educational participation is presented.
Families
- Adoptions Australia 2004-05
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2005, 58p, tables, figures (Child welfare series no.37), and Online
This report presents adoption statistics provided by State and Territory community services departments for the period 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005. The report covers all finalised adoptions, including information on adopted children, adoptive families and birth mothers. - Australian families in transition: some socio-demographic trends 1901-2001
Family Matters no.60 Spring - Summer 2001: 12-23, graphs, tables and Online (PDF 1.2MB)
This article traces key transitions in family life since Federation, some of their causes, and how we might best understand their implications. The article focuses on changing patterns of common family transitions - young adults leaving home, forming partnerships, having children, divorcing, repartnering. Tables and graphs provide key comparative statistics over time. - Australian social trends 2004
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004, 208p, tables, charts (ABS catalogue no.4102.0) and Online
The chapter on Family and community covers: Social interactions outside home; Support for people with a disability; Families with no employed parent; Being unemployed, a lone parent or a recently arrived migrant; and, Formal child care. - Australian social trends 2003
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2003, 215p, tables, charts (ABS catalogue no.4102.0) and Online
A chapter on family and community focuses on changing families - with information about changes in the number and composition of Australian families over time, and discussion of a range of social trends related to this. Also covered are: balancing family and work; farming families; child protection; and services in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. - Australia's welfare 2005
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2005, 500p, tables, figures, and Online
This seventh biennial report outlines the broad context in order to describe the overall welfare of Australians. It includes a chapter on children, youth and families. - Background report: key work and family trends in Australia
Melbourne, Vic: Centre of Applied Social Research, RMIT, 2004, 68p plus appendices, tables, figures, Online (PDF 2.77MB)
This report provides a descriptive overview of key trends in Australian society affecting work and family. There are four sections: paid work and the paid workforce; families, households and caring responsibilities; combining paid work and family caring responsibilities; and preferences and attitudes. - Building resilient families: snapshot
Sydney, NSW: Mission Australia, 2002, 4p, Online (PDF 119K)
Demographic trends are summarised to illustrate the changing family 1971 - 2001, and qualities identified by the Family Strengths Research Project are listed which help to define what makes a family resilient. - Demographic profile: Australia, 2001
Sydney, NSW: Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, 2006, 13p, tables, Online (PDF 208K) This publication provides a demographic profile of Australia as at August 2001, including information on families and children. - Families, incomes and jobs: a statistical report of the HILDA Survey
Parkville, Vic: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne, 2006, 108p, tables, figures, (Statistical report), Online
Based on the first three waves of data collected by the HILDA Survey, this report includes information covering the four main areas of HILDA: households and family life; incomes and wealth; employment and unemployment; and life satisfaction and wellbeing. - Family and community life
In: Indigenous socioeconomic outcomes: assessing recent evidence: a CAEPR conference, the Australian National University, Canberra, August 11-12, 2005: Conference program and presentations. Canberra, ACT: Centre for Aboriginal Economic Research, Australian National University, 2005, 31p, figures, Online only (PowerPoint (373K) and Streaming Audio)
The reasons for studying family and community life are explored in this presentation, which looks at the contribution to the study of family and community life of the 2002 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey. - Family characteristics, Australia, 2003: main features
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004, (ABS catalogue no.4442.0), Online
This 'Main features' document presents a summary of findings from the 2003 Family Characteristics Survey, conducted throughout Australia, with a focus on families with children aged 0-17 years. It contains information about family structure, the social marital status of the parents, parental income and contact arrangements for children with non-resident parents. - Future of work: work and family: policy background paper
Sydney, NSW: Evatt Foundation - Publications - Papers, August 2003, Online
Data synthesised in this paper cover the changing nature of families and their relationship to the workforce; number of people needing care and number of workers providing care; changes in the way work is organised as a result of changes in family life; and paid maternity leave. - Long work hours and the wellbeing of fathers and their families
Melbourne, Vic: Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2004, 25p, tables (Research paper no.35), and Online (PDF 187K)
This paper explores the relationship between fathers' work hours, their own well being and that of their families using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. - Managing care and work, New South Wales, October 2005
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006, 22p, statistical tables (ABS catalogue no.4912.0) Online (PDF 9.94MB)
This publication summarises results from the Managing Care and Work survey, conducted throughout NSW. It presents information on the relationship between people's unpaid caring responsibilities and their work situation during the six months prior to the survey. - Negotiating the life course: changes in individual and family transitions
Canberra, ACT: Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University, 2003, 32p (Negotiating the Life Course discussion paper DP-013), Online only (PDF 594K)
Addresses the issues of change and dispersion in the pattern and timing of individual life course transitions, with a focus on five key life course events: leaving home, cohabitation, marriage, fertility, and relationship breakdown. The experience of four birth cohorts, those born in the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, is compared. - Paid maternity leave
Canberra, ACT: Parliamentary Library, Parliament of Australia, 2004, (E-Brief Sept 2002, updated Aug 2004), Online only
Past developments in relation to provision of maternity leave in Australia are traced in this paper, which then reviews the spread of paid maternity leave (PML) and forms in which PML may be provided to employees; the expected cost of a safety net scheme funded by government; and some of the many possible cost-benefit scenarios. - Polarisation of families according to work status
Family Matters no.64 Autumn 2003: 16-21, table, figures and Online (PDF 274K)
Examines how the rapid growth in part time employment has contributed to the growing polarisation of families into 'work poor'and 'work rich' categories. - Post-familial families and the domestic division of labor: a view from Australia
Melbourne, Vic: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research - Working papers using the HILDA Data - 2003, 31p, tables, figures, Online (PDF 82K)
This paper uses national data to examine the relationship between post-familial status, as indicated by marital status and employment, and time spent on housework. - Second generation Australians:
report for the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.
Canberra, ACT: Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, 2002, 148p, tables, figures and Online
Among the socioeconomic and demographic outcomes examined in the study are educational attainment, employment, occupational status, language shift and family formation patterns. The study also explores the issue of intergenerational mobility by examining whether the second generation's outcomes are related to their parents' socioeconomic background. - The impact of long working hours on employed fathers and their families
In: Australian Social Policy Conference, 9-11 July 2003 - Papers. Sydney, NSW: Social Policy Research Centre, 2003, 29p, tables, Online (163K)
This paper uses data from the first wave of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey to examine links between aspects of work hours, other employment circumstances, family characteristics, perceptions of work-family balance, and wellbeing across various other domains of personal and family life. - The origin of lone-parent concentrations in metropolitan and regional Australia.
Family Matters no.62 Winter 2002: 11-17, tables, figures and Online (PDF 828K)
Research shows that there are higher concentrations of lone-parent families in Australia's regional centres than in its major cities. This article examines patterns of geographic mobility in order to assess whether migration is likely to be the major cause for high lone-parent concentrations in regional areas, or whether such concentrations are largely a consequence of 'home grown' factors.
Homelessness
- Australian social trends 2004
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004, 208p, tables, charts (ABS catalogue no.4102.0) and Online
The Housing section includes a subsection on Homelessness. - Australia's welfare 2005
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2005, 500p, tables, figures, and Online
This seventh biennial report outlines the broad context in order to describe the overall welfare of Australians. It includes a chapter on services for people experiencing homelessness. - Children accompanying homeless clients 2002-03: a report from the SAAP national data collection
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2004, 55p, tables, figures (SAAP NDCA report), and Online
Data about the children of Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) agency clients who accompany their guardian to the agency or who seek or receive assistance as a result of their guardian's involvement with the agency. - Children in the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP): final report
Kensington, NSW: Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, 2005, 153p, tales, figures, Online (PDF 741 KB)
This report details the research project undertaken by the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) about children in the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) - those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. It includes an analysis of the data on children in SAAP, both those who accompany their families and those who are unaccompanied, and a discussion of options for policy and program development. - Demand for SAAP assistance by homeless people 2003-04: a report from the SAAP National Data Collection
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2004, 126p, tables (SAAP NDCA Report series 8), and Online
Provides information on people who were homeless and people who were at risk of being homeless who accessed the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) in 2002-03. Looks at the demand for SAAP services and the ability of agencies to meet this demand. - Female SAAP clients and children escaping domestic and family violence 2003-04
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2005, 27p, tables, figures (Bulletin no.30), and Online
Domestic violence is a major contributor to homelessness among Australian women. This report presents data from the 2003 - 2004 SAAP national data collection on female clients and their children escaping domestic violence. - Healing and stability:
addressing the needs of homeless people with mental disorders
In: Beyond the divide: 3rd National Homelessness Conference, 6-8 April 2003, Brisbane. Dickson, ACT: Australian Federation of Homelessness Organisations, 2003, 9p, Online only (165K), figures
Looks at case studies from a program that focused on the experiences of homeless people with mental disorders, and provides statistics related to homeless people with mental disorders. - Hidden homelessness in Australia
Australian Bureau of Statistics - Media release
'On census night in 2001 the homeless population in Australia was 99,900 according to an academic report released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today' - the media release (other summary statistics are included) is promoting a purchasable ABS Ausstats report 'Australian Census Analytic Program: Counting the Homeless' (cat. no. 2050.0). - Home first: a longitudinal study of outcomes
for families who have experienced homelessness: final report
South Melbourne, Vic: Hanover Welfare Services, 2004, 105p plus appendices, tables, figures, and Online (PDF 2.3 MB)
This final report on the findings from the Hanover Family Longitudinal Outcomes Study (HFLOS), is an integrated account of the changes that families experienced over the two year period of the study. - Homeless people in SAAP: SAAP national data collection annual report 2003-04
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2005, 116p, tables, figures, and Online
Provides an overview of assistance given to clients and their children by the Program in 2003-04. Information is presented in the following chapters: Funding; Level of support; Age, gender, and cultural and linguistic diversity; Client groups and reasons for seeking assistance; Support provided; Meeting the needs of clients and accompanying children; Circumstances of clients before and after support; Support from 1996-97 to 2003-04. - Homelessness
Red Hill, Qld: Kids Help Line, 2001, 2p, tables, figures, Online only (28K) (Infosheet no.12)
Issues of age and gender, and the nature of calls to Kids Help Line regarding leaving home or contemplating leaving home, including callers who are homeless, have run away or have been asked to leave, are discussed in this information sheet. - Homelessness in Tasmania
Canberra, ACT: Australian Federation of Homelessness Organisations, 2004, Online
In this address to the Tasmanian Homelessness Networking Forum, the author provides an overview of homelessness in Tasmania, and of some of the factors that might lead to people becoming homeless and what makes it difficult for them to break free of that cycle. - No home, no justice? The legal needs of homeless people in NSW
Sydney, NSW: Law and Justice Foundation of New South Wales, 2005, 347p, tables, appendices (Access to Justice and Legal Needs monograph series no.2), Online
This report is an exploratory, qualitative study examining the legal needs of homeless people. Chapters examine the incidence and causes of homelessness in New South Wales (NSW); the varied types of legal issues facing homeless people as they move through homelessness; barriers to accessing legal assistance, legal assistance services and assistance by non-legal agencies; and barriers to participating in the legal system. - The faces of homelessness
Sydney, NSW: Wesley Mission, 2001, Online only
This publication provides statistical information on the homeless, and looks at the causes of homelessness. It then examines homelessness in different sections of the community: youth, the aged, families and women. In particular, homelessness in Sydney is examined, along with the availability and affordability of housing. - What does the data say about access to SAAP services?
Parity v.18 no.1 Feb 2005: 22-24, table, figure and Online
Based on the SAAP National Data Collection, this article looks at SAAP service provision; length of support; demand for accommodation; overall demand and expectations. - Women experiencing homelessness:
a gender analysis of the Victorian SAAP data collection
Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services - SAAP Research, 2003, 44p, tables, figures, Online only (PDF 398K)
Data on the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) collected by the National Data Collection Agency (NDCA) show an increased use of SAAP services by Victorian women over the five year period from 1997 to 2002. - Young people in SAAP 2001-02
Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services - SAAP Research, 2003, 4p, figures, tables, Online (PDF 52K)
A snapshot of services delivered to young people by the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program. - Youth homelessness 2001: a research program funded by all state and territory governments and the Salvation Army
Melbourne, Vic: RMIT University, 2002, 42p, tables, Online (PDF 261K)
This is the first report from the project Counting the Homeless in 2001, a research program focusing on Australia's homeless population at the time of the 2001 Census of Population and Housing. The report presents the main findings from the second national census of homeless school students, and estimates the total number of homeless young people aged 12 to 18, using information from the school census combined with Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) data.
Housing
- 2005 public housing National Social Housing Survey
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2006, 7p, figures, tables (Bulletin no.41), and Online
Key results of the 2005 National Social Housing Survey, which investigated public housing tenants' satisfaction with public housing, their satisfaction with specific aspects of service, the aspects of the home and service that matter most to tenants, tenants' satisfaction with dwelling amenity and location, and the perceived benefits of public housing. - Analysis of expenditure patterns and levels of household indebtedness
of public and private rental households, 1975 to 1999
Melbourne, Vic: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, 2003, 42p, tables, and Online
This study is based on Australian Bureau of Statistics Confidentialised Unit Record Files of household expenditure for four time periods: 1975-76, 1988-89, 1993-94 and 1998-99. The study analyses and compares housing expenditure patterns and levels of indebtedness of public and private rental households over the period. - Australian housing market: statistical update
Canberra, ACT: Department of Family and Community Services, 2003, Online
A quarterly report that provides a summary of key information on trends and conditions in the Australian home ownership and rental housing markets, derived from official and industry statistics. It also contains a selection of similar information for the States and Territories. Data presented include home ownership; house prices and commencements; home purchase affordability; rents and rental supply. - Australian social trends 2004
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004, 208p, tables, charts (ABS catalogue no.4102.0) and Online
A section on Housing covers: Homelessness, Home ownership, and High-rise living. - Australia's welfare 2005
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2005, 500p, tables, figures, and Online
This seventh biennial report outlines the broad context in order to describe the overall welfare of Australians. It includes a chapter on assistance for housing. - Baseline small area projections of the demand for housing assistance
Melbourne, Vic: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, 2006, 93p, tables, maps, (Final report), Online (PDF 374K)
Documents the development of a model capable of projecting the demand for housing assistance at the small geographic area level and provides some preliminary outcomes from the model. - Changes in the supply of and need for low rent dwellings in the private rental market
Melbourne, Vic: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, 2004, tables, figures, (Positioning paper), Online
This paper looks at changes to the private rental market between 1996 and 2001, in terms of the supply of and need for private rental dwellings. - Commonwealth-State housing agreement national data reports 2003-04: State owned and managed Indigenous housing
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2005, 46p, tables, figures (Housing assistance data development series), and Online
Data collected under the 2003 - 2004 Commonwealth State Housing Agreement state owned and managed Indigenous housing data collection are reported in this document. - Country matters:
social atlas of rural and regional Australia
Kingston, ACT: Bureau of Rural Sciences, 2004, 125p, illus, maps and Online
This social atlas contains maps with features characterising Australia's non metropolitan population. Two of the major sections are housing, and families and households. - Household expenditure survey, Australia: detailed expenditure items, 2003-04
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006, (ABS catalogue no.6535.0.55.001), Online
This publication presents results from the 2003-04 Household Expenditure Survey. The survey collected detailed information about the expenditure, income and household characteristics of households resident in private dwellings throughout Australia. - Housing finance, Australia
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006, (ABS catalogue no.5609.0), Online
Monthly summary report of housing finance in Australia, including trend estimates, seasonally adjusted estimates, value of dwellings financed, owner occupied dwellings and investment housing. - Housing implications of social, spatial and structural change: final report
Melbourne, Vic: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, 2002, 173p, tables, Online
There are a number of ways in which housing and home ownership may reinforce the polarisation of income that has emerged in Australia in the last few decades as a result of social, economic and demographic change. - Housing occupancy and costs, Australia: main features
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005, (ABS catalogue no.4130.0.55.001), Online
Information summarised in this report, based on data from annual Surveys of Income and Housing, includes changes since 1995-96, housing tenure by life cycle stages, housing stress, value of dwelling, and recent home buyers. - Housing stress in 2001: estimates for statistical local areas
Canberra, ACT: National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling, University of Canberra, 2006, 33p, tables, figures, maps, (NATSEM Conference paper CP0601), Online only (PDF 3.03MB)
Does housing stress vary greatly between small areas? What is a typical profile of a household in housing stress? These are the types of questions answered in this paper, which presents estimates of housing stress for Statistical Local Areas in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and the ACT in 2001. - Housing unaffordability at the statistical local area level: new estimates using spatial microsimulation
Canberra, ACT: National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling, University of Canberra - Conference papers - Paper presented to the 2004 ANZRSAI Conference, Wollongong, NSW, September 2004, 48p, tables (CP2004_009), Online, (PDF 1.65MB)
This paper presents and reviews the small-area patterns of housing unaffordability from stage one of the project on 'Regional dimensions: new models for analysis of the spatial effects of policy, socio-demographic and economic changes'. - Long-term housing futures for Australia: using 'foresight' to explore alternative visions and choices
Melbourne, Vic: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, 2004, 27p, (Positioning paper), Online
This positioning paper describes the field of foresight studies (the method for understanding futures) and how this is to be used in a project which aims to provide a framework for identifying the major housing issues which Australia may confront in the longer-term future. - Medium and long-term projections of housing needs in Australia: final narrative report
Melbourne, Vic: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, 2003, 60p, tables, Online
This paper reports research by the Australian National University on behalf of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute. The research examines the future demand for housing in Australia through the development and application of new methods of projection of households and dwellings. - Perspectives on regional Australia: household expenditure throughout Australia, 2003-04
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006, (ABS catalogue no.1380.0.55.003), Online
Household expenditure on various broad expenditure groups (housing, domestic fuel and power, food and non-alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, medical care and health expenses, transport, recreation) are presented by Section of State and for Australia. - Projected housing demand in Australia to 2011
AHURI Research and Policy Bulletin no.33 Jun 2004: 4p, table and Online (PDF 100K)
In recent years, household growth, rather than population growth, has driven housing demand. This paper, based on a AHURI research project, looks at reasons for this, and at trends and projections in Sydney, Melbourne, other capital cities and regional areas. It then discusses policy implications. - The state of affordable housing in WA, 2004
East Perth, WA: Shelter WA, 2004, 11p, figures, maps (Occasional Paper 2004-2), Online (PDF 261K)
This annual overview is based on a range of key housing indicators, and focuses on families in the bottom half of the income range. Suggestions are made for addressing the housing crisis. - Trends in home ownership rates in Australia: the relative importance of affordability trends and
changes in population composition
Melbourne, Vic: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, 2004, 31p, tables, Online
Stating that a life course approach to analysis is superior to a comparative statistics approach, the authors analyse data about home ownership from two surveys: the 1999 ABS Australian Housing Survey and the 1997 and 2000 waves of the Negotiating the Life Course Survey. - Trends in housing stress
Canberra, ACT: National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling, University of Canberra - Conference papers - Paper presented at the National Summit on Housing Affordability, Canberra, June 2004, 16p, tables, figures, (CP2004-002), Online (PDF 196K)
Housing stress is defined as occurring when household income is in the bottom 40 per cent of the income distribution and the household's housing costs are greater than 30 per cent of its income. This paper reports trends in housing stress for 1998 to 2004, based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Surveys of Income and Housing Costs. - Women off the radar: a gendered analysis of women's housing in Brisbane
Brisbane, Qld: Women's Housing Network, Queensland Shelter, 2004, 88p, tables, figures, Online (PDF 632K)
The project described in this report gathered and analysed current data in relation to women on low incomes and their housing situation/options in Brisbane, and provides a gendered analysis of housing in Brisbane. The report also makes some projections in relation to future trends for women and their housing needs for the next 3 to 5 years
Income and income support
- A spatial divide? Trends in the incomes and socioeconomic characteristics of regions between 1996 and 2001
Canberra, ACT: National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling, University of Canberra - Conference papers - Paper presented to the 28th Australian and New Zealand Regional Science Association International Annual Conference, Wollongong, 28 September - 1 October 2004, 18p, (CP2004_005), Online, (PDF 220K)
This paper examines trends in income for different regions of Australia between 1996 and 2001, using census data. - Assessing the quality and inter-temporal comparability of ABS Household Income Distribution Survey data
Sydney, NSW: Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, 2003, 64p, tables, figures (SPRC discussion paper no.123), Online only (PDF 489K)
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has conducted numerous surveys that are used to analyse poverty and the distribution of income amongst Australian households. Recently, concerns have arisen over the reliability of these data to represent the circumstances of the population, and especially changes therein over time. This paper examines the quality and inter-temporal comparability of these survey data by comparing aggregates derived from the surveys to external data such as official population estimates, labour force data, the National Accounts and administrative data. - Australian social trends 2004
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004, 208p, tables, charts (ABS catalogue no.4102.0) and Online
A section on Economic resources covers: Household assets, liabilities and financial stress; Household income; Incomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. - Australian social trends 2003
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2003, 215p, tables, charts (ABS catalogue no.4102.0) and Online
A chapter on Economic Resources looks at the geography of income distribution; Taxes and government benefits: the effect on household income. - Australians in poverty in the 21st century
Canberra, ACT: National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling, University of Canberra - Conference papers - Paper prepared for 33rd Conference of Economists, 27-30 September 2004, 21p, tables (CP2004_007), Online, (PDF 222K)
This paper provides estimates of poverty in Australia, using data from the 2000-2001 Survey of Income and Housing Costs, conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The study uses the OECD Half Median Poverty line, and examines both poverty rates and poverty gaps. - Average weekly earnings, Australia
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005, 4p, (ABS catalogue no.6302.0), Online
Quarterly statistics on average weekly earnings are summarised, including trend estimates and seasonally adjusted estimates. - Country matters:
social atlas of rural and regional Australia
Kingston, ACT: Bureau of Rural Sciences, 2004, 125p, illus, maps and Online
This social atlas contains maps with features characterising Australia's non metropolitan population. Income is one of the major sections reported on. - Deriving long-run inequality series from tax data: an Australian case study
In: Australian Social Policy Conference, 9-11 July 2003 - Papers. Sydney, NSW: Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, 2003, 21p, tables, figures, Online only (PDF 211K)
The author proposes a method of using taxation statistics for imputing the incomes of non-taxpayers, and deriving the underlying distribution of income. Applying this method to Australia, he develops a new annual series for male inequality since 1941. - Disappearing middle income earners
Canberra, ACT: Department of the Parliamentary Library, Research note no.44 2001-2002, Online only
Over the last quarter of a century full-time middle income jobs in Australia have fallen from 2.1 to 1.9 million, at a time when the overall number of full-time wage and salary earners has increased by almost one million. Middle income employees now account for 36 per cent of all full-time wage and salary earners, compared with 50 per cent in 1975. - Examining recent changes in income distribution in Australia
Sydney, NSW: Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, 2003, 21p, tables, figures (SPRC discussion paper no.130), Online only (PDF 358K)
This paper analyses recently released Australian Bureau of Statistics data on the distribution of income which allow, for the first time, estimates to be made of the distribution of income in 2000-01 and how it has changed since the mid-1990s. - Families, incomes and jobs: a statistical report of the HILDA Survey
Parkville, Vic: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne, 2006, 108p, tables, figures, (Statistical report), Online
Based on the first three waves of data collected by the HILDA Survey, this report includes information covering the four main areas of HILDA: households and family life; incomes and wealth; employment and unemployment; and life satisfaction and wellbeing. - Family
characteristics, Australia, 2003: main features
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004, (ABS catalogue no.4442.0), Online
The 2003 Family Characteristics Survey (FCS) was conducted throughout Australia. A particular focus of the survey is families with children aged 0-17 years. Parental income is one of the characterisitics reported on. - Females with dependent children:
information from the General Customer Survey and Longitudinal Administrative Dataset
Australian Social Policy 2002 - 2003: 201-212, tables, and Online (whole issue, PDF 1,036K)
This article examines selected characteristics and circumstances of women with dependent children aged 15 and under in order to illustrate the range of analysis that the combined dataset can offer. Data structure, characteristics of recipients, and histories of income support are considered. - Household income and income distribution, Australia, 2003-04: main features
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005, 11p, (ABS catalogue no.6523.0), Online
Presents estimates of the income, net worth and other characteristics of households and persons resident in private dwellings in Australia, compiled from the 2003-04 Survey of Income and Housing (SIH). - Income and separation
In: HILDA Survey Research Conference 2005: papers. Parkville, Vic: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne, 2005, 29p, tables, figures, Online (PDF 210K)
The main focus of this paper is on the association between income support status / family income and the probability of separation. - Income support customers: a statistical overview 2004
Canberra, ACT: Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, 2006, 89p, figures, tables (Statistical paper no.3), and Online
This statistical overview covers all FaCS income support customers who received payments in June 2004. Includes: payments for older people, the sick, and people with disabilities and their carers; labour market allowances and parenting program payments; family assistance; and other income support. - Mature age customers on
income support: duration, transition and flow analyses using the FaCS longitudinal data set 1995 to 2000
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004, 55p (Working Papers in Econometrics and Applied Statistics no.2004/2) (ABS catalogue no.1351.0), Online (PDF 426K)
In this paper the authors apply a wide range of statistical and modelling tools to explore the welfare dependency, dynamics and transitions of mature age customers on income support. - Money, money, money -
is this a rich man's world? Trends in spatial income inequality, 1996 to 2001
Sydney, NSW: AMP Society, 2004, 20p, maps, tables (AMP.NATSEM Income and Wealth Report no.8), Online (PDF 1.04MB)
This report compares the income of households by examining statistics from the 1996 and 2001 Censuses by postcode. Some of the areas explored are: where the most affluent and poorest areas of Australia are located; how household incomes in 2001 compare with those of 1996; and income, education, employment and home ownership differences between the top 10% and bottom 10%. There is also consideration of the situation of Indigenous Australians and immigrants. - Perspectives on regional Australia: household expenditure throughout Australia, 2003-04
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006, (ABS catalogue no.1380.0.55.003), Online
This report presents household expenditure on: housing, domestic fuel and power, food and non-alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, medical care and health expenses, transport, and recreation. Information is presented by Section of State and for Australia. - Regional divide? A study of income inequality in Australia
Sustaining Regions v.1 no.1 Oct 2001: 17-30, tables, figures, and Online (PDF 2700K)
A regional analysis of incomes in Australia is presented, covering average household income by region, changes in average household income by region, average household income by state and region, and household incomes in local government areas. An attempt is then made to answer the question 'Is there a growing income inequality between regions'? - Reviewing recent trends in wage income inequality in Australia
In: IR changes report card. Sydney, NSW: Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Sydney, 2005, 21p, Online (PDF 78K)
Using data from the latest available ABS Survey of Income and Housing Costs, changes in wage income inequality among the full time workforce in Australia are examined in this paper.