Income Distribution Data - 30 |
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Income Distribution
The following is an abridged version of information taken from ABS sources
As table 7.1 (below) shows, in 1996-97 the average gross weekly income for all income units was $625. The median gross weekly income (i.e. the midpoint when all units are ranked in order of income) was considerably lower at $477. This difference reflects the fact that there are a large number of people who have no income, or a very low income, and a smaller number of people who have have very high incomes.
Income units cover a wide variety of individuals and family types and include varying numbers of people. These range from young single people just out of school, to couples with dependent children, through to elderly retired couples or single people, that is, units at various stages of the life cycle and working career.
It is therefore not surprising that income is distributed unevenly across all income units. This was the case in 1996-97 when income units in the lowest quintile (i.e. the lowest 20% of units when ranked according to income) received an average gross weekly income of $121, compared to $1,485 received by those in the highest quintile.
Income units in the lowest quintile were mainly single people.
One-third of these were living with parents or with relatives. Few people were employed
and most relied on government pensions and allowances as their principal source of
income.
In comparison, income units in the highest quintile were usually
couples with or without dependent children, and most had two earners. Their principal
source of income was mainly wages and salaries, with very few relying on government
pensions and allowances.
Unit |
Lowest 20% |
Second quintile |
Third quintile |
Fourth quintile |
Highest 20% |
All income units | ||
| Upper boundary of quintile group | $ | 209 |
376 | 593 |
956 | . . |
- | |
| Mean income | $ | 121 |
294 |
476 |
752 |
1,485 |
625 | |
| Median income | $ |
168 |
295 |
477 |
746 |
1,307 |
477 | |
| Principal source of income (% of income units) | ||||||||
| Weekly employee income | % |
8.6 |
26.4 |
66.9 |
85.2 |
87.1 |
54.8 | |
| Weekly own business income | % |
2.0 |
3.5 |
6.5 |
7.3 |
9.6 |
5.8 | |
| Weekly government pensions and allowances | % |
69.0 |
62.1 |
16.7 |
1.9 |
**0.1 |
30.0 | |
| Weekly income from other sources | % | 9.5 |
8.0 |
9.9 |
5.6 |
3.3 |
7.3 | |
| Total(a) | % |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 | |
| Income unit type (% of income units) | ||||||||
| Couple with dependent children | % |
3.0 |
6.7 |
17.5 |
34.6 |
49.8 |
22.3 | |
| Couple without dependent children | % |
5.7 |
33.3 |
21.4 |
22.9 |
37.6 |
24.2 | |
| One parent | % | 1.6 |
12.7 |
6.8 |
4.1 |
*0.9 |
5.2 | |
| Lone person | % |
89.7 |
47.1 |
54.2 |
38.5 |
11.6 |
48.3 | |
| Total | % |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 | |
| Earners | ||||||||
| None | % |
84.4 |
65.0 |
21.1 |
5.6 |
1.8 |
35.6 | |
| One | % |
13.4 |
32.6 |
71.4 |
65.8 |
29.4 |
42.5 | |
| Two | % |
2.2 |
2.4 |
7.5 |
28.7 |
68.8 |
21.9 | |
| Total earners | % |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 | |
| Dwelling tenure type (% of income units) | ||||||||
| Owners without a mortgage | % |
29.9 |
42.1 |
27.5 |
26.1 |
31.1 |
31.3 | |
| Owners with a mortgage | % |
5.6 |
6.7 |
15.0 |
32.4 |
47.6 |
21.4 | |
| Renters | ||||||||
| Public | % |
7.8 |
7.4 |
4.6 |
1.5 |
*0.5 |
4.4 | |
| Private | % |
16.5 |
20.3 |
26.9 |
25.1 |
14.2 |
20.6 | |
| Other | % |
11.5 |
9.7 |
10.4 |
4.6 |
*1.0 |
7.5 | |
| Total renters | % |
39.3 |
39.5 |
43.8 |
34.0 |
17.8 |
34.9 | |
| Other, including rent free | % |
25.1 |
11.6 |
13.7 |
7.6 |
3.6 |
12.3 | |
| Total | % |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 | |
| Estimated number of income units | ||||||||
| Capital city | '000 |
1,144 |
1,104 |
1,161 |
1,217 |
1,289 |
5,915 | |
| Rest of State | '000 |
678 |
712 |
654 |
596 |
528 |
3,168 | |
| Total | '000 |
1,823 |
1,816 |
1,814 |
1,813 |
1,817 |
9,083 | |
(a) Includes income units with nil or negative income. Source: Unpublished data, 1996-97 Survey of Income and Housing Costs. | ||||||||