Financial position
Income is a key measure of wellbeing as it the main financial resource used to meet daily expenses and it also provides for economic freedoms.
Level of prosperity
This measure shows the difference between average weekly disposable income for households in the ACT across 10 income groups. The measure is adjusted to consider differences in household size and composition.
It does this by comparing the average weekly disposable income for those households with the lowest incomes (bottom 10%) against those with the highest incomes (top 10%) and measuring the difference between the two. This is important because it helps us to understand the different amounts of disposable income households have, and the dispersion of that income across income groups, for things like:
- housing
- food
- medical care
- transport costs
- daily expenses.
In 2007-08, when this data series commenced, the average weekly disposable income for those in the top income group was 5 times that of those in the lowest income group.
In 2019-20, households with the highest income had an average weekly disposable income just under 4 times that of households with the lowest income. We have observed a flatter multiple in recent years.
Since 2007-08, income has increased for all income groups except those within the highest group. Income for this group has stayed relatively stable.
Data source
Chart description
Line graph of weekly disposable household income across 10 income groups in the ACT, by financial year from 2013-14 to 2019-20. In 2019-20 the income of the top group was $2,234 and $598 for the lowest group compared to $2,030 and $554 in 2017-18.
Technical notes
The ABS determined these results from the Survey of Income and Housing, 2019-20.
This measure shows average equivalised weekly disposable income for households in the ACT across income deciles. Equivalised income accounts for variations in household size and composition and savings in average cost that result from sharing resources in a larger household. All references to income below are for the average equivalised weekly disposable income.
