Information about relative economic and social circumstances of people and households within a geographic area are summarised in this report by ABS Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage (IRSD) Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) indices. IRSD SEIFA measures relative disadvantage and is summarised as quintiles (1 indicating a lower socioeconomic area, 5 a higher socioeconomic area) in this report.
For more detail, see Technical notes.
Out-of-pocket costs for non-bulk billed GP attendances increased steadily over time in all socioeconomic areas (Figure 8). Since 2003, people living in the lowest socioeconomic areas (SEIFA quintile 1) consistently paid a lower amount in out-of-pocket costs than people living in higher socioeconomic areas. Between 2003 and 2023, the higher the socioeconomic area a person lives in, the higher the average out-of-pocket costs they incur for a non-bulk billed GP attendance.
- In 2020 and 2021, the average out-of-pocket costs for a GP attendance peaked at $42 (adjusted for inflation) for people living in the lowest socioeconomic areas (SEIFA quintile 1). In 2023, the average out-of-pocket cost had slightly reduced to $39 for a GP attendance.
- For people living in the higher socioeconomic areas (SEIFA quintile 5), the average out-of-pocket cost for a GP attendance peaked between 2019 and 2020 when it reached $50 (adjusted for inflation). In 2023, similar to other socio-economic areas, the average out-of-pocket cost slightly reduced to $47.
