Over 3 million Australians locked into poverty

Abstract

Fewer entry-level jobs, rising housing costs, and inadequate welfare rates are just some of the contributing factors to more than one in eight adults living in poverty, with sector leaders banding together to call for immediate action.

The latest Australian Council for Social Services and UNSW Sydney poverty report revealed more than 3 million Australians are living below the poverty line, including 774,000 children.

The child poverty rate was found to be consistently higher than overall poverty, ranging from 18 per cent to 16 per cent over the past decade. The rate now sits at 17.7 per cent – more than one in six children.

The report also found that poverty has not only remained consistently high but the depth is getting worse, with households in poverty on average living 42 per cent below the poverty line, up from 35 per cent in 2007.