Building homes is restricted mainly by planning red (and green) tape, high taxation, government munificence, and not being able to easily build what the market wants and/or can afford. Now that is off my chest – hopefully for the last time for a while – let me outline why stopping overseas migration isn’t really a…
Did you know that there are some one million unoccupied private dwellings across Australia? Yes – that’s what the latest Census tells us. This equates to about 10% of Australia’s private residences. What does an unoccupied dwelling mean? According to the ABS, an unoccupied private dwelling is: a vacant one at the time of the…
Let’s dive into some intriguing numbers about where Australians are living now and where we’re headed in the next decade. First up, check out Table 1. Some 7.8 million children – a whopping 30% of the population in 2021 – were living at home with their parents. Just under four-fifths (77%) lived with their coupled…
Today, I’ll look at Australian household types with emphasis on those Aussies living alone. One in ten Australians lives alone. However, the recently released Census shows that a quarter of our occupied dwellings typically hold just one person, but 90% of us live with someone else. Semantics? Maybe? So let’s look at the data… Number…
Daily we see sombre images from conflict zones like Gaza, Ukraine, Haiti and along the Coup Corridor in Africa. These evoke a mix of compassion and concern. For many, the sight of fellow humans fleeing from violence and upheaval provokes empathy, yet it also sparks apprehension, particularly among residents of affluent and much more secure…
Not that long ago there were two Australias. The Haves and The Have Nots. Tall Poppies and the Rest of Us. But now there appear to be three Australias. 1. Tenants There are roughly one-third of Australians who are tenants suffering from double-digit rental increases, while at the same time experiencing sharp falls in real…
About five years ago The Grattan Institute released a great report on Australia’s urban landscape. To read the 87-page report go here. But for those of you who are short on time, I have pulled together ten things you need to know about this work. Many of these are quite surprising. 10 things 1. Most…
Here are a couple of recent outtakes from the business press: Australia’s unemployment rate rose to 4.1% in June from 4% in May, despite the addition of 50,200 jobs, including 43,300 full-time positions. This data further fuels expectations of a Reserve Bank rate hike in August. Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers claims the government has created…
The conversation around Australia’s housing crisis often circles back to a familiar refrain: we need to build more homes. However, the reality on the ground paints a more complex picture where the push for vertical housing solutions like apartments is increasingly seen as misaligned with market demands and affordability. The high cost of high-rise…
My chart this week illustrates Australia’s population projections over the next 25 years. I have used the medium projection series, and this is founded on the population data and trends as at financial 2022. It is the most up-to-date data and was released about a month ago. The projections are divided into several scenarios, showing…
