Single, couple or family: not all Australian middle income earners are equal | Greg Jericho
News Source
β’Wed, 23 Sep 2026 15:00:53 GMT
π° What Happened
The latest HILDA survey came out on Thursday. It follows about 17,000 Australians over many years to track how their lives and money change. The new report covers 2024.
The survey found wages have become more equal, which has helped offset a rise in income from investments. Households also spend more on childcare than in 2002, but those costs have steadied over the past decade.
It also found fewer couples with children and more couples without them. Couples without children rose from 20.4% to 22.1% of households.
π The Backstory
The survey says the median income for all Australian households in 2024 was $103,166. But that single figure says little about living standards.
So HILDA works out an "equivalised" income, which compares a single person's living standard. That median was $66,311. A single person earning it takes home about $83,969 before tax.
The formula counts each extra adult as needing 50% more income and each child 30%. A couple needs $99,467 after tax, and a couple with two children $139,253, to match a single person on median income.
π― Why It Matters
Knowing what counts as middle income helps people judge their own pay. It also shows why one salary can feel very different for a single person and a family of four.
The latest HILDA survey came out on Thursday. It follows about 17,000 Australians over many years to track how their lives and money change. The new report covers 2024.
The survey found wages have become more equal, which has helped offset a rise in income from investments. Households also spend more on childcare than in 2002, but those costs have steadied over the past decade.
It also found fewer couples with children and more couples without them. Couples without children rose from 20.4% to 22.1% of households.
The survey says the median income for all Australian households in 2024 was $103,166. But that single figure says little about living standards.
So HILDA works out an "equivalised" income, which compares a single person's living standard. That median was $66,311. A single person earning it takes home about $83,969 before tax.
The formula counts each extra adult as needing 50% more income and each child 30%. A couple needs $99,467 after tax, and a couple with two children $139,253, to match a single person on median income.
Knowing what counts as middle income helps people judge their own pay. It also shows why one salary can feel very different for a single person and a family of four.