International comparisons of welfare data

This page provides a high-level comparison of international welfare and wellbeing data, allowing comparison of Australian experiences on a global scale and supports policy, planning and decision making. Figure 1 provides data for Australia and 37 other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries across a range of welfare and wellbeing-related indicators. OECD member countries provide a useful comparison for Australia because almost all have high-income economies (World Bank 2025).

Most data reported on this page are derived from the OECD data explorer with a few measures derived from the DataBank and World Health Organisations websites. The latest year of data available for some countries on these indicators at the time of the report was 2025 and where this was not available, the latest available year has been used.

For high-level comparisons on international health data, with a focus on Australia’s international performance, see Measures of health and health care for Australia and similar countries. For important contextual information about factors that influence welfare and wellbeing, see Understanding welfare and wellbeing. For further detail on definitions, sources, notes, indicators, and data availability for the measures on this page, see the OECD website. 

How does Australia’s welfare compare with other OECD countries?

In general, Australia compares well with other OECD countries on many welfare measures, noting there is disparity between different population groups. Australia’s results are more favourable than the OECD average for many indicators, including household disposable income, tertiary education and employment. For example, based on the latest year of data:

• Australia had a household disposable income of around US$42,900 at current purchasing power parities in 2021, higher than the OECD average of around US$34,700.
• About half (51%) of Australians aged 25–64 had a tertiary education in 2023, higher than the OECD average of 41%.
• About three-quarters (77%) of Australians aged 15–64 were employed in Q1 2025, higher than the OECD average employment rate of 72%.

Australia ranked lower than the OECD average for some indicators. For example, in 2023:

• About two-thirds (69%) of Australians reported feeling safe walking alone at night, lower than the OECD average of 75%.
• The gender gap in feeling safe (where the difference in the proportion of men who reported feeling safe when walking alone at night is compared with women) was 32 percentage points in Australia, higher than the OECD average of 14 percentage points. 

Findings on this page were the latest available at the time of writing. For the latest available data for each measure, see OECD data explorer.

Notes

1. All figures are based on latest available data at the time of writing. Data relate to different time periods depending on the data sources.
2. ‘OECD average’ is an AIHW estimated calculation.

Sources: DataBank 2025, OECD 2024a, 2024b, 2024c, 2024d, 2024e, 2024f, 2024g, 2024h, 2024i, 2024j, 2024k, 2024l, 2024m, 2024n, 2024o, 2025a, 2025c, 2025d, 2025e, 2025f, 2025g, WHO 2025. 

Housing and income

Housing is essential for providing shelter, safety, privacy and personal space. It takes up a large proportion of household income while having a direct impact on a person’s health and wellbeing (OECD 2025b). Income is an important means for achieving higher living standards, better access to services and greater wellbeing (OCED n.d.e).

Housing availability

The rate of dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants indicates the availability of housing in relation to the population. A higher rate indicates better housing availability.

In 2022 (or based on the latest year of data): 

• Australia had 420 dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants, lower than the OECD average of 473 dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants
• Australia reported the 24th highest rate out of 34 OECD countries, with Italy (598 dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants, 2021) reporting the highest rate and Costa Rica (330 dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants) reporting the lowest (OECD 2024a).

For the latest OECD data, see dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants.

Housing costs

Housing costs can represent a substantial financial burden, especially to low-income households. The house price-to-income ratio can give an indication of the financial pressure that households face from housing costs. The house price-to-income ratio reflects the relationship between the cost of a typical home and the average annual income in a country. A high ratio indicates that houses are relatively expensive compared to incomes, while a low ratio indicates that homes are relatively affordable compared to incomes. 

In 2024 (or based on the latest year of data):

• Australia had a ratio of 121 house price-to-income – the 8th highest house price-to-income ratio out of 33 OECD countries – this means Australia has higher financial pressure from housing costs than 25 countries 
• Australia’s house price-to-income ratio is higher than the OECD average ratio of 112
• Portugal (150) reported the highest ratio and Finland (82) reported the lowest (OECD 2025f).

For the latest OECD data, see house price-to-income ratio.

Housing cost overburden

Housing cost overburden refers to the percentage of households in the bottom 40% of the income distribution spending more than 40% of their disposable income on housing costs. 

In 2021 (or based on the latest year of data):

• about 14% of Australian households in the bottom 40% of the income distribution spent more than 40% of their disposable income on housing costs, lower than the OECD average of 19%
• Australia ranked 22nd highest out of 34 OECD countries, with Colombia (49%, 2022) reporting the highest housing cost overburden and Czechia (3.3%, 2022) reporting the lowest (OECD 2024k).

For the latest OECD data, see housing cost overburden.

Household disposable income

Household disposable income is the amount of money that a household has available after taxes and other essential costs are deducted from the total income. 

In 2021 (or based on the latest year of data):

• Australia had a household disposable income of around US$42,900 at current purchasing power parities per capita, higher than the OECD average of around US$34,700
• Australia ranked seventh highest out of 33 OECD countries, with the United States (around US$55,500, 2022) reporting the highest disposable income and Mexico (around US$17,200, 2022) reporting the lowest (OECD 2024j).

For the latest OECD data, see disposable income.

Income inequality

The Gini coefficient is a number between 0 and 1 that measures income inequality. A value of one means total inequality, while a value of zero means no inequality, or perfect equality. For more information on income inequality, see Income and income inequality.

In 2020 (or based on the latest year of data):

• Australia’s Gini coefficient was 0.32 – equal 20th highest level of income inequality out of 35 OECD countries – this means Australia’s household income distribution was less equal than 19 countries, but more equal than 14 
• Australia had the same income inequality as the OECD average (0.32)
• Slovak Republic (0.23, 2022) reported the least income inequality while Costa Rica (0.47, 2023) reported the highest income inequality (OECD 2024e).

For the latest OECD data, see Gini coefficient.

Education and employment 

Education provides individuals with the knowledge, skills and competence to participate effectively in society and in the economy (OECD n.d.b). Being employed allows individuals to earn an income, develop new skills, build their self-esteem and improve social interactions (OECD n.d.f).

Tertiary education

In 2023 (or based on the latest year of data):

• about half (51%) of Australians aged 25–64 had a tertiary education, higher than the OECD average of 41%
• Australia ranked sixth highest out of 38 OECD countries, with Canada (63%) ranking the highest in tertiary education and Mexico (21%) ranking the lowest (OECD 2024g).

For the latest OECD data, see tertiary education.

Employment rate

Having a job not only provides individuals with financial security from a steady and reliable income, but it can also improve their health and increase their happiness due to a sense of belonging. For more information on employment, see Employment and unemployment.

In Q1 2025 (or based on the latest year of data): 

• about three-quarters (77%) of Australians aged 15–64 were employed, higher than the OECD average employment rate of 72% 
• Australia ranked seventh highest out of 38 OECD countries, with Iceland (86%, Q4 2024) reporting the highest employment rate and Türkiye (55%, Q4 2024) reporting the lowest
• employment rates varied by sex, with 80% of males aged 15–64 employed compared with 74% of females in Australia
• Australia had the eighth highest employment rate for males and 10th highest for females among 38 OECD countries (OECD 2025c).

For the latest OECD data, see employment rate.

Unemployment rate

Unemployed persons are those aged 15–64 who are currently not working but are willing to do so and are actively searching for work.

In Q1 2025 (or based on the latest year of data): 

• 4.2% of Australians were unemployed, lower than the OECD average of 5.7% 
• Australia ranked 11th lowest out of 37 OECD countries, with Japan (2.6%) reporting the lowest unemployment rate and Spain (11%, Q4 2024) reporting the highest
• unemployment rates varied by sex, with 4.2% of males unemployed compared with 4.0% of females in Australia
• Australia had the 12th lowest unemployment rate for males and 10th lowest for females among 37 OECD countries (OECD 2025g).

For the latest OECD data, see unemployment rate.

Gender wage gap

The gender wage gap is the difference between the median earnings of men and women, relative to the median earnings of men. 

In 2023 (or based on the latest year of data):

• Australia’s gender wage gap was 11.3%, similar to the OECD average of 11.4%
• Australia ranked 18th lowest out of 37 OECD countries, with Luxembourg (0.4%, 2022) ranking the lowest in gender wage gap and Korea (29%) ranking the highest (OECD 2024i).

For the latest OECD data, see gender wage gap.

Youth and the labour market

Young people who are not in education or employment are at risk of low earnings and lacking the required skills to better their economic situation (OECD 2025h).

In 2022 (or based on the latest year of data):

• 7.8% of Australians aged 15–24 were not in education, employment or training (NEET), lower than the OECD average of 11% 
• Australia ranked 10th lowest out of 37 OECD countries, with the Netherlands (3.1%) reporting the lowest proportion of youth NEET and Türkiye (25%) reporting the highest (OECD 2024n).

For the latest OECD data, see youth NEET.

Youth unemployment refers to young people aged 15–24 who are currently not working but are willing to do so and are actively searching for work.

In Q1 2025 (or based on the latest year of data):

• 9.0% of young Australians were unemployed, lower than the OECD average youth unemployment rate of 14%
• Australia ranked 8th lowest out of 38 OECD countries, with Japan (4.1%) reporting the lowest youth unemployment rate and Spain (26%) reporting the highest (OECD 2025e).

For the latest OECD data, see youth unemployment rate.

Community, safety and safety inequality 

Support networks

As social beings, the frequency of a person’s contact with others and the quality of personal relationships are important for wellbeing (OECD n.d.a). For more information, see Social connection and social cohesion.

In 2023 (or based on the latest year of data):

• most (92%) Australians reported they knew somebody they could rely on in times of need, higher than the OECD average of 90%
• Australia was ranked equal sixth highest out of 38 OECD countries, with Iceland (98%) ranking the highest for the quality of support networks and Korea (80%) ranking the lowest (OECD 2024m).

For the latest OECD data, see quality of support networks.

Perceptions of safety in the community

Personal security is an integral part of an individual’s wellbeing and includes the risk of a person becoming a victim of crime. An impact of crime on people’s wellbeing appears to be the feeling of vulnerability that it causes (OECD n.d.g).

In 2023 (or based on the latest year of data): 

• about two-thirds (69%) of Australians reported feeling safe walking alone at night, lower than the OECD average of 75%
• Australia ranked ninth lowest out of 38 OECD countries, with Norway (92%) ranking the highest for perceptions of safety in the community and Chile (37%) ranking the lowest (OECD 2024h).

For the latest OECD data, see feeling safe walking alone at night.

Gender gap in feeling safe

There is a gender gap in feeling safe in the community where a greater proportion of men reported feeling safe when walking alone at night compared with women. 

In 2023 (or based on the latest year of data):

• in Australia, 85% of men reported feeling safe, while only 53% of women did 
• the gender gap in feeling safe was 32 percentage points in Australia, higher than the OECD average of 14 percentage points
• Australia ranked highest out of 38 OECD countries, while Ireland and Switzerland (-1.0 percentage point) ranked lowest with a negative gender gap where more women reported feeling safe than men (OECD 2024o).

For the latest OECD data, see gender gap in feeling safe.

Health and life satisfaction

Good health brings many benefits including enhanced access to education and employment, good social relations and an increase in productivity and wealth (OECD n.d.d).

Life expectancy at birth

Life expectancy at birth measures how many years from birth, on average, a person is expected to live based on current age and sex-specific death rates. 

In 2022 (or based on the latest year of data): 

• Australia’s life expectancy at birth was 83.2 years, higher than the OECD average of 81.0 years
• Australia ranked seventh highest out of 38 OECD countries, with Switzerland (84.2 years, 2023) reporting the highest life expectancy at birth and Mexico (75.3 years, 2023) reporting the lowest (OECD 2024f).

For the latest OECD data, see life expectancy at birth.

Health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE)

Health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE) is the average number of years that a person can expect to live in ‘full health’ by taking into account years lived in less than full health due to disease and/or injury.

In 2021 (or based on the latest year of data):

• Australia’s HALE at birth was 70.6 years, higher than the OECD average of 68.6 years
• Australia ranked 10th highest out of 38 OECD countries, with Japan (73.4 years) reporting the highest HALE and Mexico (61.4 years) reporting the lowest (WHO 2025).

For the latest OECD data, see health adjusted life expectancy.

Life satisfaction 

Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole on a scale from 0 to 10. 

In 2020 (or based on the latest year of data): 

• Australians on average scored life satisfaction as 7.2, similar to the OECD average of 7.3
• Australia ranked equal 21st highest out of 34 OECD countries, with Mexico (8.4, 2021) ranking the highest for life satisfaction and Türkiye (5.4, 2022) ranking the lowest (OECD 2024l).

For the latest OECD data, see life satisfaction.

Environment, demographic and contextual factors

Outdoor air pollution

The quality of the local living environment has an impact on a person’s health and wellbeing. While living in an unspoiled environment improves their mental wellbeing, exposure to high levels of outdoor air pollution is linked to a range of health problems (OECD n.d.c). For more information on air pollution, see Natural environment and health.

In 2020 (or based on the latest year of data):

• in Australia, PM2.5 levels were 8.1 micrograms per cubic metre, lower than the OECD average of 11.2 micrograms per cubic metre
• Australia ranked 10th lowest out of 37 OECD countries, with Finland (4.9 micrograms per cubic metre) reporting the lowest level of air pollution and Chile (23.2 micrograms per cubic metre) reporting the highest (OECD 2024d).

For the latest OECD data, see exposure to air pollution.

Greenhouse gas emissions

Increases in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere contributes to climate change. Some of the impacts of climate change include increased likelihood and severity or chronic illnesses, psychological distress and mental health, and damage to services that support health and wellbeing (Department of Health and Aged Care 2024). For more information on greenhouse gas emissions, see Natural environment and health.

In 2022 (or based on the latest year of data):

• Australia released around 20 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gases per capita, higher than the OECD average of 9.0 tonnes and highest among 37 OECD countries
• based on totals, Australia released around 521 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gases, higher than the OECD average of around 400 million tonnes
• Australia ranked eighth highest out of 37 OECD countries, with the United States (over 6.3 billion tonnes) ranking the highest for carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions and Iceland (around 4.7 million tonnes) ranking the lowest (OECD 2024b, 2025c).

For the latest OECD data, see greenhouse gas emissions per capita and total greenhouse gas emissions.

Population dependency ratio

Population dependency ratio is a measure of the number of dependents, those aged 0–14 and 65 and over, compared with the working age population, 15–64. This demographic indicator shows the potential dependency burden that the working-age population bears in relation to children and the elderly.

In 2023 (or based on the latest year of data):

• Australia’s population dependency ranked 22nd lowest out of 38 OECD countries at 55%, similar to the OECD average of 54%
• Korea (41%) had the lowest population dependency ratio and Japan (70%) had the highest (DataBank 2025).

For the latest OECD data, see population dependency ratio.

Overseas born population

Overseas-born population includes people who have migrated from their country of birth to their current country of residence. Among other things, migration contributes to cultural diversity and the economy. For more information on migration, see Profile of Australia's population.

In 2019 (or based on the latest year of data): 

• almost one-third (30%) of Australians were born overseas, which was double the OECD average of 15%
• Australia ranked second highest out of 32 OECD countries, with Luxembourg (47%) having the highest proportion of resident population born overseas and Mexico (0.9%, 2018) having the lowest (OECD 2025a).

For the latest OECD data, see overseas born population.

Gross domestic product

Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita is a key indicator of economic performance. It measures the value and volume of goods and services produced in a country. 

In 2024 (or based on the latest year of data):

• the GDP per capita in Australia was around US$74,500, higher than the OECD average of around US$62,300 
• Australia ranked ninth highest out of 38 OECD countries, with Luxembourg (around US$146,000) reporting the highest GDP per capita and Colombia (around US$22,200) reporting the lowest (OECD 2025d).

For the latest OECD data, see gross domestic product.

Where do I go for more information?

For more information on international comparisons of welfare data, see:

• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) OECD Better Life Index
• OECD website
• United Nations
• World Health Organisation

For more on this topic, see International comparisons.