The average number of people living in each household has declined from around 2.9 in the mid-1980s to around 2.5 since the early 2000s. More recently, the AHS declined to historical lows of a little below 2.5 people per household.
The total fertility rate, a measure that gives the average number of children an Australian woman would have during her lifetime should she experience the age-specific fertility rates present at the time was 1.7 births per woman in 2021. This was up from the 1.59 for 2020, the lowest total fertility rate ever reported.
In 2022, there were an average of 3 people in a family, unchanged from 2021. Census Bureau.
Families in Australian culture can be more matriarchal compared to some Latin or Asian families, with mothers usually responsible for discipline and decisions regarding the children. In Australian culture, everyone shares in the housework.
Couples with children make up 43.7 per cent of all families, Couples with no children make up 38.8 per cent of all families, and Lone parent families make up 15.9 per cent of all families. Other family composition represents 1.6 per cent of all families.
The Australian middle class has a median household income of AUD$80,000. This statistic is a key indicator of the financial health of the Australian middle class.
Meanwhile, collaborative database Expatistan estimates the current cost of living in Australia is roughly $3,803 per month for a single person or $7,064 per month for a family of four, just for the bare essentials.
Over the years, the size of the average Australian family has been shrinking. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 1911 the average household comprised 4.5 people. That number had dropped to 2.6 by 2011. But there are those bucking that trend and choosing to embrace a larger brood.
Note: Salary is one of the most important contributors to the total income. As such, the average median household income (Purchasing Power Parity) in Australia was 95,371 AUD (USD 63,393) for the year 2021. This puts Australia in the top 10 countries for the highest median household income.
In 2019-20, a household at the 90th percentile of the distribution – that is, a household that is richer than 90 per cent of households – had a net worth of $2.26 million. A household at the 10th percentile was worth just $36,900, or 61 times less.
Grow your family to at least four children! According to a study out of Australia's Edith Cowan University, parents with the most life satisfaction (which means those who are the happiest) are those that have four or more children.
Since having five or more kids is generally the cutoff point for being considered a “large” family, here are all the ways your parenting will change once you hit that pivotal plus-five milestone.
If you only have 2 kids, then 3 seems like a lot. To “large families” 3 kids isn't a lot, and a family is typically considered big with 4 kids or more.
Australian dads are among the oldest in the world, and we're not getting any younger. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' data on registered births in 2020, the median age of fathers is 33.6 years, rising from 28.5 years in 1975, when data was first collated.
Floor area of new houses
In 2012, the average floor area was 245 square metres and in 2021 the average was 242 square metres, a decrease of three square metres (-1%) over 10 years.
Between 1990 and 2010, the median age of fathers of nuptial births increased by almost three years, from 31.4 to 34.0 years, while the median age of fathers of ex-nuptial births who acknowledged the birth of their child also increased, from 27.3 years to 29.9 years.
Australians wanting to be in the country's top 1% for wealth need to have an individual net worth of US$5.5 million ($8.3 million), Knight Frank's 2023 Wealth Report has found.
The average annual salary in Australia is $68,900 and $35.30 per hour. It is just the average salary for basic workers but skilled and experienced workers also earn around $108,980 annually. The average salary also varies depending on the field of work and the job role of workers.
Our 2022 Poverty in Australia Snapshot found that there are 3.3 million people (13.4%) living below the poverty line of 50% of median income, including 761,000 children (16.6%). In dollar figures, the poverty line works out to $489 a week for a single adult and $1,027 a week for a couple with 2 children.
One of the biggest decision married couples face is how many children to add to their family. Some may choose one or two kids, while others may want four or more children. There are pros and cons to both, but according to a study on happiness in family life, those who are in larger families are happier.
Trends in ideal family size
Two children is always the most popular choice, followed by three children, four or more children, and one child or no children. Chi-square tests, however, indicate a significant difference in responses over time.
Around 7.01 million families had three or more children under 18 living in the household in 2021.
The average cost of living for a family in Australia will range between AUD 2500 and AUD 3000 every month. Sydney is by far the most expensive city to live in Australia, followed by Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Canberra.
Want to plan your living expenses in Australia? We'll help you. There is no “one size fits all” plan for all but it is understood that an individual may need approximately $20,000 each year and an average family needs more than $50,000 a year to get by in Australia.