Media release

From: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)

New report card on Australia's welfare shows how we're faring in 2025

Australia compares well internationally with other countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), ranking more favourably on many welfare measures including tertiary education, employment and life expectancy.

This is among a range of key findings contained in the 17th edition of Australia’s welfare, released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

‘This report shines a light on how Australians are faring today, providing a comprehensive overview on the welfare and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities across areas like life satisfaction, income, housing, aged care and more,’ said AIHW spokesperson Louise Gates.

The report highlights groups within our population who experience less favourable welfare outcomes. A considerable number of Australians rely on support and assistance provided as part of our health and welfare systems, as well as informally from family, friends and the broader community.

Overview of Australia’s population

‘Australia’s population has grown steadily over the past 30 years. Our population is also ageing due to longer life expectancies and lower birth rates,’ said Ms Gates.

Between mid-1994 and mid-2024, the population of Australia has grown from 17.8 million to 27.2 million and is projected to reach 31.3 million by 2034–35. The proportion aged 65 and over has risen from 12% to 17% over the same period and is projected to reach almost a quarter (24%) by 2064–65.

Life satisfaction and connections

‘Generally, Australians continue to have positive community connections and enjoy a socially cohesive society with 4 in 5 people feeling a sense of belonging in their neighbourhood and 3 in 10 giving back through volunteering in 2024,’ said Ms Gates.

In April 2025, Australians rated their life satisfaction at 6.5 out of 10 on average, while 2 in 5 (40%) Australians experienced loneliness at least some of the time in the previous week.

Rates of life satisfaction have decreased slightly from 6.8 in January 2023 and 7 in January 2021, while the proportion experiencing loneliness has remained reasonably constant.

The proportion of people feeling socially isolated was 15% in 2023, similar to in 2021 when it peaked at 16%. In 2023, people aged 35–44 were most likely to experience social isolation. However, during 2020 and 2022, young people aged 15–24 were the most likely cohort (ranging between 19% and 22%).

Education

‘Education plays a vital role in helping people navigate the transition to adulthood and the workforce. Higher educational attainment is linked to greater employment prospects, higher incomes, improved health and better life satisfaction,’ said Ms Gates.

Australia continues to fare well in terms of tertiary education attained by adults aged 25–64, ranking sixth highest out of 38 OECD countries.

The proportion of Australians aged 15–74 with a non-school qualification such as a university degree, certificate or diploma as of May 2024 has increased to 63%, the same as 2023 but an increase from 59% in 2015.

In 2024, 16% (3.2 million) of people aged 15–74 were currently studying. School attendance rates for years 1–10 have declined, however Year 12 or equivalent attainment has increased from 72% to 79% between 2015 and 2024.

The number of apprentices and trainees has fluctuated in recent years. There were 334,000 apprentices and trainees in training at 30 September 2024, a decrease from 362,000 since the same time in 2023.

Employment, remote work and income

The employment rate for Australians aged 15–64 has been steadily increasing over time from 64.4% in February 1978, to record highs of 77.4% in December 2024 and 77.2% in June 2025. This has been driven by the increase in female employment; from 46% in February 1978 to 74.4% in June 2025.

‘After the largest monthly fall on record in employment in April 2020 during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia’s labour force has rebounded, with employment not only returning to pre-pandemic levels but reaching and sustaining record highs,’ Ms Gates said.

‘The pandemic was also a major catalyst for shifting attitudes towards people working remotely.’

More than one third (36%) of employees worked some of their hours from home in 2023; lower than the peak in 2021 (39%), but higher than before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (25%, on average, between 2001 and 2019).

More Australians aged 65 and over are remaining in the workforce for longer. In June 2025, 16% of older people aged 65 and over were employed, up from 6.8% in June 1978.

Real household income has grown in 2024, following 2 years of decline between 2021 and 2023, with the recent moderation in inflation since 2023 enabling household incomes to grow faster than prices. However, despite rising incomes, Australians are reporting the highest levels of financial stress (21% in 2023) in over a decade.

Housing and homelessness

‘Home ownership rates are falling with fewer young people owning their own home,’ said Ms Gates.

‘Between 2014 and 2024, the median transfer price for established houses in capital cities, where most Australians live, increased substantially.’

Home ownership rates declined from 50% to 36% among people aged 25–29 and from 64% to 50% for those aged 30–34, between 1971 and 2021.

Around 1.3 million low-income households were experiencing housing stress in 2024–25, spending more than 30% of their disposable income on housing.

The number of social housing dwellings increased by 45,200 between June 2006 and June 2024. However, social housing dwellings made up only 4.1% of all households in 2024, a decrease from 4.8% in 2011.

Specialist homelessness services supported around 280,000 people in 2023–24 who were either homeless or at risk of homelessness. A high proportion (45%) of children and young people aged 15–24 who present alone to agencies for support were still experiencing homelessness when their support ended in 2023–24 (45%).

Disability

Around 5.5 million people (21%) of the Australian population had some form of disability in 2022, an increase from 4.4 million (18%) in 2018.

‘Several factors may have contributed to this rise, including an increase in prevalence of long-term conditions, an ageing population, a growing awareness of disability and changes in data collection methods,’ Ms Gates said.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) had around 693,000 active participants with approved plans at 31 December 2024, an increase from 467,000 at 30 June 2021.

The number of NDIS participants with a primary disability of autism has grown by 14% in 2024, and 15% over the previous year, compared with 7.2% and 13% annual growth rates in the same 2 years for the total number of NDIS participants.

Aged care

‘Australia’s ageing population has been driving an increased demand for aged care services and higher government expenditure in this sector,’ Ms Gates said.

‘Assessments and admissions into home or residential aged care are increasing, as are the number of aged care places and people employed in the aged care workforce.’

Between 30 June 2020 and 30 June 2024, the number of people using home care increased from 142,000 to 275,000 and the number using permanent residential aged care increased from 184,000 to 190,000. The number of comprehensive assessments completed for eligibility for entry into these services also increased from 188,000 to 218,000.

Waiting times for some aged care services improved over this period but not all. The median elapsed time between referral for a comprehensive assessment and approval increased from 12 days in 2019–20 to 22 days in 2023–24. The median elapsed time between approval and home care package committed decreased from 299 days in 2019–20 to 118 days in 2023–24.

Justice and safety

The National Community Attitudes Survey shows that understanding of violence against women has reached its highest level to date, achieving a mean score of 69 out of 100, an increase from 62 in 2009.

‘Attitudes of and awareness towards violence against women are improving over time, however there is still considerable room for improvement,’ said Ms Gates.

One in 5 (20%) adults had experienced physical and/or sexual family and domestic violence since the age of 15, equating to 2.7 million women and 1.1 million men in 2021–22.

Fewer young people aged 10–17 are under youth justice supervision than in previous years. In 2023–24, around 4,200 young people (or a rate of 12 per 10,000 people aged 10–17) were under youth justice supervision on an average day; a decrease from almost 5,200 (or a rate of 16 per 10,000 people aged 10–17) in 2019–20.

A population and welfare overview of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people

There were an estimated 984,000 First Nations people living across Australia at 30 June 2021, an increase of 22% from 806,000 people at 30 June 2011.

In 2021, 81% of First Nations people were living in appropriately sized housing (not overcrowded), an increase from 69% in 2001.

The proportion of First Nations people aged 25–34 who had completed a tertiary qualification as their highest educational attainment has more than doubled from 19% in 2001 to 47% in 2021.

More First Nations people aged 15–64 are also employed, an increase from 46% in 2012–13 to 57% in 2022–23.

Data development 

The AIHW works closely with others to expand data availability and enhance the quality and timeliness of information processes, from collection to reporting. Work to develop a pilot collection on specialist family and domestic violence services and a project linking specialised health and welfare-service use data are just 2 examples of current data improvement activities the AIHW is progressing.