Income levels

Living standards

lncome levels

Income is a key measure of wellbeing as it is the main financial resource used to meet daily expenses and it also provides for economic freedoms.

Disposable income

This measure shows the average amount of weekly disposable income for households in the ACT. The measure is adjusted to consider differences in household size and composition.

It is important to measure how much disposable income households have as this income enables people to pay for things like:

The most recently available data shows the average disposable household income in the ACT was $1,406 per week in 2019-20.

This was the highest of any state or territory. It is also higher than the Australian average of $1,124 per week in 2019-20.

ABS Household Income and Wealth, Australia (previously ABS Cat no. 6523.0), Tables 1.1 and 14.8. Reference year: 2019-20.

Line graph of average weekly disposable household income in the ACT, every other financial year from 2013-14 to 2019-20. In 2019-20, the average weekly disposable income was $1,406 compared to $1,294 in 2017-18.

The ABS determined these results from the Survey of Income and Housing, 2019-20.

This measure shows average weekly disposable household income in the ACT, accounting for variations in household size and composition and savings in average cost that result from a larger household (equivalised).

This measure relates to the average level of household income in the ACT. Related measures (Level of prosperity and disposable household income percentile ratio – P20/P50 ratio) consider how different levels of income across households in the ACT compare.