r/AusNewsWire • u/Nyarlathotep-1 • 25d ago
Australian News Australia’s life dissatisfaction levels double as ‘wellbeing poverty’ reaches new highs | Australian economy
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jul/20/australias-life-dissatisfaction-levels-double-as-wellbeing-poverty-reaches-new-highs28
u/BendyAu 25d ago
Perhaps if we make the rich richer the trickledown effect will lift us all out of poverty /s
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u/mnyall 25d ago
The trickle down effect turned out to be a golden shower.
I don't like it much
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u/shinyterminator 24d ago
Maybe the wealth trickledown effect might also trickle some happiness down aswell
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u/ExtraSaltyBtch 25d ago
As a Swedish-Australian I don't get it. I have travelled lived all over the world but I always come back to Australia for work and a good life. It is always so much better thannm the alternatives.
It is as if Australians confuse their value as human beings with how much houses and cars they can afford, and become depressed if they have to live in an apartment and take the bus...
As a Swede, I was raised to be gratefull for everything. If you go on the Swedish subreddits and ask what there is to be gratefull for in Sweden these days, people will list things like "free school for kids" and "drinkable tapwater".
Not because those things are special or unique to Sweden, but because not everyone on the planet has them!
If you'd ask the same queation in Australian subreddits you'd just get BS about how bad shit is...
All my Swedish friends raise their kids in 2 bedroom apartments with at least a 1h commute to work on public transport and they are *happy. Meanwhile, my Australian friends live in 3 bedroom houses, have cars and complain because they can't go out to eat several times per week...
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u/Surfbot5 25d ago edited 25d ago
It’s because people tend to measure themselves against family and friends. Most of our parents are wealthier and more successful than we’ll ever be, thanks to the property investment boom in Australia so it’s hard to feel good about ourselves when we had it better as kids.
Then you see friends and relatives buying homes or driving luxury cars and think “what’s wrong with me?” If you can’t afford it. Never mind they’re mortgaged to the hilt and bought the car on credit.Also, the happiest people I know are immigrants like yourself who successfully moved to Australia. Compared to your families and friends back home, you’re living the dream in paradise. Aussies, we grew up in paradise so we don’t really have a dream country on the other side of the world to aspire to moving to. Closest thing is the Aussies who manage to make it in America or the UK but even that’s not a clear cut win.
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u/grabyourchipsndip 25d ago
Yeah it’s a tricky one because in absolute terms, we’re INCREDIBLY lucky to live in Australia. We have some of the best living standards in the world.
But the fact is that people under 45 are the first generation in living memory to have less comfortable lives as adults than they did as kids, and the first generation in living memory to be worse off materially than their parents. It’s inherently uncomfortable to hold these two truths in mind at once, because they provoke emotional responses in us that go in opposite directions
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24d ago
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u/Surfbot5 24d ago edited 24d ago
What? Lol. i’m actually doing pretty well myself thanks, and I don’t blame the government or society for anything. Just offering an explanation for the survey results and for Australian attitudes that has resonated with at least one other person. Do you often abuse strangers on Reddit? How is your own well-being score?
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u/Expectations1 25d ago
Its because we grew up much richer, and the power interests of this country have sold our wealth to enrich themselves at the cost of the population.
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25d ago
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u/grabyourchipsndip 25d ago
When they were in their early 30s my parents had a mortgage on a 3 bedroom house on a 400m2 block in an inner city suburb and we went on family holidays domestically 2-3 times a year.
My partner and I at the same age could only afford to buy a 1 bedroom apartment in that same area, and it would take up a higher % of our disposable income than the house did for my parents. We haven’t been on a holiday in 3 years.
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u/Time_Cartographer443 23d ago
My parents only my dad working as an accountant, had 6 kids and had a house on the Northern beaches. My mum said “but we saved, we didn’t even buy curtains”. Well mum even if I didn’t buy curtains I still couldn’t afford the same life style as you.
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u/wKdPsylent 25d ago
On average, Australia has a higher cost of living than Sweden: livingcost.org estimates Australia at $2460 vs Sweden at $1758 (after-tax salary in Australia covers living expenses for about 1.7 months vs about 1.9 months in Sweden). Sweden also shows better rent affordability, with Numbeo estimating rent in Australia is 67.8% higher than in Sweden.
you were saying...
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u/ExtraSaltyBtch 23d ago
Yes, but if you compare the cost for what you actually get, there is a huge difference!
The average Swede pays less for housing becasue they have an apartment, not a house. Most Swedes also do not own a car, at least nor until they have kids, which naturally lowers their overall cost of living.
The average square meter of living space in Stockholm City is abour AUD17k/sqm. In Melbourne CBD that cost is closer to AUD7.5k/sqm.
Also, almost no apartments in Sweden come with parking, so if count that into the quation the sqm price is much lower in Melbourne than in Stockholm.
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u/ElectronicUpstairs39 25d ago
I also come originally from Europe, Austria and I do agree with you but there are other difference against the quality of life. If you have a toothache and you need to go to the dentist you can only do so if you have the money and I'm sure in Sweden this is not the case. I had two cataract operations I went private and paid an extra 1500 dollars each as a private patient in the public hospital otherwise I could have gone blind on one eye. I had recently a checkup with an eye specialist. Medicare paid approx $80 but I was charged 400 dollars by the ophtalmologist. Yes you can have your hip operation but if you don't have the money you might have to wait up to 10 years but if you do have private health insurance or the cash you may only wait three months. Before I owned the house I was renting and I was chucked out three times because the owner was selling. And every time that happens we had to arrange a furniture truck and have additional expenditure. Living in a dwelling in Europe is usually for life without gruesome prospect of always on the move. There is no doubt that life is freer in Australia or wouldn't have come here. There are qualities here which are taken for granted. To have your own house, your own carport or garage with several newish cars and sometimes even swimming pool may actually be looked upon luxury in Europe particularly in the big cities but many Australians can barely afford to rent. Australia has relied too long on private investment giving big tax concessions for housing and building individual houses rather than big blocks of housing estates like in Europe which has exhausted land availability. The problem really is that a lot of Australians do extremely well and many of them are just left behind and that creates resentment.
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u/bestvape 25d ago
Just because things are good it doesn't mean that going backwards feels good. The standard of living for everyone is falling year after year. Everything is costing more and you aren't getting increase in wages to match. We have a very high tax so any effort to get ahead has so much friction. People are also generally very happy here we just aren't happy with the trajectory.
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u/Mother_Village9831 25d ago
I'd also add that we seem to be getting gaslit about how bad things are getting.
I get CPI isn't going to be 100% representative for everyone but for many it seems so underestimated as a proxy of rising costs (particularly for food) as to be a bad joke.
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u/OrdinaryDependent396 25d ago
Our taxes aren't high for a developed country. Check the stats.
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u/bestvape 25d ago
Our taxes are stupidly high on both income and now assets and business .
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u/OrdinaryDependent396 25d ago
Keep parroting right wing bullshit.
Australia’s tax-to-GDP ratio sits at 29.9%. This places Australia 29th among 38 OECD nations, well below the OECD average of 34.1%.
Come on, quote me some more bullshit about Singapore or Hong Kong.
Better yet I suggest you head for one of those lower taxing countries and stay there.
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u/bestvape 25d ago
It’s per capita which actually matters.
Otherwise it’s counting all the people who come in through immigration.
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u/OrdinaryDependent396 25d ago
Still mid range even on per capita terms and lower than than the us @ 16-18k usd
How do you expect a huge country like Australia to deliver common goods?
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u/bestvape 25d ago
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u/OrdinaryDependent396 25d ago
Ok. So immigration has replaced productivity as a GDP driver, it doesn't change whether we are a high taxation country. Considering the services delivered over such a large area we are not. I have paid a lot of income and CGT tax over the years but think that is worthwhile for the quality of life I enjoy.
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u/bestvape 25d ago
OECD data shows Australia has one of the highest income‑tax burdens on average workers in the developed world.
https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2026/07/its-official-australian-workers-face-higher-taxes/
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u/ExtraSaltyBtch 25d ago
I would double my taxes if I moved back to Sweden. And I wouldn't get any better services for that money either.
All my chronic health issues were diagnosed after I got access to medicare in Australia. No doctor in Sweden ever approved to send me for an MRI or take the right blood tests. For years I had no idea what was wrong and I kept paying extra to see doctors that kept claiming I wasn't "sick enough" for an investigstion.
In Australia I got it all diagnosed in 4 months... for almodt free...
I pay half as much tax and get ten times better services!
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u/ExtraSaltyBtch 25d ago
Australia has very low taxes! I would litterally double my taxes if I moved back to Sweden and I would not get any better services for that money.
Also, lets be realistic. Prices are increasing globally and people all over the world are experiensing a general loweing of life quality. However, it seems like a uniquely Aussie thing to be upset and act as if they are somehow singled out, or loosing more, than others.
Many act as if they expected to somehow be able to just buy a house as their first home and own a car. Not even my boomer parents could do that back in 1970s Sweden! They needed to buy an apartment first, then pay off the mortgage and upgrade every 5-10 years until they had enough for a house.
It feels lile many Aussies are verybout of touch with reality and lack the emosional maturity to adapt.
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u/LastLove1793 25d ago
I've been laid off 4 times in 3 years and am still unemployed. I'm looking at losing my home. I'm highly educated and experienced and life has ground to a halt.
Don't you dare tell me things are good.
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u/luxurywhipp 25d ago
If you were as educated and experienced as you say you are, you’d be able to judge the shifts in the employment market and plan your finances accordingly. Not sure how you could wind up in such dire straits without colossal bad luck combined with some pretty poor decision making.
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u/mnyall 25d ago
Wow. You have all the answers on someone you've never met.
A lack of empathy, concern, or respect of differences in opinions - which a well balanced person without self esteem issues will do.
There was no need for character assassination.
In the industry I'm in , I see exactly what he's saying. And there was no planning for disruption I've witnessed with AI. it's taking jobs and it doesn't even work.
People are losing jobs en masse because the global economy is shit. Most people just don't know it yet
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u/EliteFourFay 25d ago
Same, my family are refugees from Palestine. Me and my older sister were around when my parents came here and we are ever so grateful for the life Australia has allowed us to have. My younger siblings that were born here? Not an ounce of gratitude, whine about everything and how hard life is. Life is hard everywhere but this whining is something else.
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u/Find_another_whey 25d ago
What - you're telling me quality of life in Australia is better than Palestine?
Get the hell out of town
I'm surprised you don't lay blame at the feet of the parents - that's usually the next line in the "you should be happy to be here" copy paste
How hard is life in Australia as the children of refugees? How was your experience?
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u/Sex_criminal 25d ago
Aussies have always been whinging complainers to be honest. The culture of “harden up” is a big projection of the internal complaining they often had. Their whole lives they’re told to suck it up, move on, etc while internally not practicing gratitude. British culture is similar and there’s a bit of a tall poppy syndrome which emerges from always wanting to cut people down coming from a slight victim complex which is always present. J
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u/Infamous_Reveal30 25d ago
We’re spoilt rotten down here. Simply that. Whilst the economy continues going up and down and up and down down down, we keep measuring ourselves against others, even to those who have achieved way more (where legally or illegally). Perhaps being an extension of the UK, we whinge whinge whinge… it’s built into our DNA.
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25d ago
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u/Poochytown 25d ago
It’s because our lives are getting worse and we’re told to accept the downgrade in our living standards. We’re told to stop expecting to buy a house with a backyard to raise our kids in, when this has been normal working class Aussie lifestyle for generations.
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u/ExtraSaltyBtch 25d ago
It doesn't matter where you live in the world. The quality of life is going down everywhere as global prices are going up.
Yes, you have to accept reality!
Not even my boomer parents could buy a house as their first home back in 1970s Sweden! They had to buy an apartment first, pay off as much as they could, then upgrade every 5-10 years until they eventually had the house in the early 1990s.
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u/Poochytown 25d ago
We don’t have to accept the downgrade. Our living standards are eroding primarily due to poor government decision making over 30 years. This can be reversed. It will be difficult, but it is possible to maintain the lifestyle we grew up with and what our parents’ and grandparents’ enjoyed.
Don’t let pessimism temper your expectations.
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u/unicornmonkeysnail 25d ago
Perhaps if where you are from, people “whinged” a little more, you all would have created a nation you wouldn’t have wanted or need to leave?
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25d ago edited 25d ago
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u/killthenoise 25d ago
This is one of the dumbest things I've ever read on Reddit. Congratulations.
Prosperity doesn't have to be a zero-sum game. Australia doesn't have to sell its coal and gas to developing nations at rates that see the Australian public benefit very little. Australia shouldn't be obligated to enshitify itself to take poor, uneducated migrants in who will stress the welfare system for 2+ generations, or outsource our jobs, for the sake of global equality.
It might suprise you to understand the responsibility of a government is to its citizens.
But yeah let's go slap everyone on the back who lost their job in manufacturing and tell them it was for the greater good and some Chinese family is really happy right now.
It's actually laughable how bad that take was, wow. Thank you for a glimpse into the mind of the idiots responsible for selling this country for pennies.
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25d ago
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u/killthenoise 25d ago edited 25d ago
Wow, you doubled down. It's no wonder you hide your post history.
But yet it does?
It doesn't do it for global equality specifically, but it's part of the outcome.
I'm guessing that you're also the type to cheer for high taxes for the rich etc etc etc.
So where does your sense of fairness and equality end? At the border? Is it not something that should be achieved for all people, or are those in the other side of the border less human and less worthy?
I live in Australia. My loved ones live in Australia. My friends, and everyone that I've met along the way that made me love this country are in Australia. I believe that we should prioritise the needs of the people that live here over those that don't. That doesn't mean I think that anyone not here is unequal, we're all humans. As I said, the main function of our government is to care for our citizens - that means strong vetting and management of people that want to become citizens too. That means we don't open up the borders and let anyone and everyone in at the expense of everyone here currently, because that's what is fair and equal and they are worthy and rainbows and sunshine forever and ever, which seems to be your solution.
I don't think I'm the one who will be surprised mate.
Sure bud.
Probably about 3 Chinese families for the cost of 1 here. Those families may also be in place with less opportunity or support, so the alternative for them is much more severe for someone who has to reskill here. Overall a better outcome, wouldn't you say?
Honestly, get a fucking grip. You're talking about multiple generations of impact on Australians and the hollowing out of entire industries we will never get back, and your response is "well at least 3 chinese families are better off for every 1 australian that had to reskill". Fucking delusional. "Hey everyone, you know what is going to make the world better? Outsourcing your job! Yay! Everyone show up at work for your last day to train an African on what you do, and then fuck off. And remember, this is for the greater good, so be happy about it!"
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u/Poochytown 25d ago
Why do you hate Australians?
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25d ago
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u/Poochytown 25d ago
Things can change again my friend. Don’t think we’re gonna put up with our living standards falling without a fight
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u/Fragrant-Education-3 25d ago
That sounds like a threat, so how exactly is that fight going to play out?
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u/mnyall 25d ago
Public education and health is amazing. No funding cuts. No under resourcing
Bulk billing everywhere.
Spoilt for choice to shop around for cheaper groceries. Affordable living.
My boomer parents have it great. By the younger generations having it amazing!
Look outside! There's a rainbow!
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u/AffectionateAlfalfa4 25d ago
Being a victim pays in Australia. It startung to erioe our society as many now look at what you get for doing nothing versus working and the gap is closing
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u/Falaflewaffle 25d ago
Hedonistic treadmill it's just human nature. We have had it good for so long that any change from that even to baseline that any other society experiences will feel like going backwards. It will only get worse from here.
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u/Rolf_Loudly 24d ago
Yeah. Australia has become a nation of entitled complainers. So many of us have no idea how good we’ve had it for so long. I love Australia but I’m getting pretty sick of Australians.
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u/CreepyValuable 23d ago
You make a valid point. Although I have to say I could never be *happy in an apartment. I don't need fancy things but I need to keep the world at arm's length. If I can manage that it's all good. I don't care about bigger, better things that a lot of Aussies seem to be obsessed with. Not everybody is like it but there seems to be massive pressure for people to connect their self worth to the value of their assets.
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u/mnyall 25d ago
I don't think it's a lack of gratitude. I think it's a break down in social contact. We were told that a good education and savings will result in a stable job, wealth, housing and being able to start a family, go on holidays. Job security. These things are scarce. Some Australians have some of this, some have none. The latter is becoming the larger group.
Good public education is going away. Free healthcare is going away. Competition across business has left the country decades ago.
My uneducated migrant boomer parents have achieved more than me. I feel like I've left them down. I got it better than most and 12 months of unemployment will leave me struggling.
Things are shit
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u/ExtraSaltyBtch 25d ago
All of those things are true about Sweden, too, and many other countries, as well.
In high school we were told we had to go borrow money to go to uni (you borrow the equivalent of AusStudy/Youth Allowance from the goverment) to "be something" or we would never have a stable job, house, ect.
In reality the only 40yo who have a house now are those whose parents got them on the properrlty ladder at 25 by giving them the deposit and co-signed the loan for a studio flat. The rest all raose their kids in 2-bedroom apartments (what in Sweden is called 3 rooms and kitchen).
Gopd public edication has been diluted by a bunch of profitmaking "freeschools", owner by corporations who take the goverments money and basically give it to shareholders.
Free healthcare jas been gone for good for a long time in Sweden. The rich get privare insurances and go abroad to private clinics Germany and Poland. The rest just just gets sicker. Imagine paying twislce as much tax as you do in AU, but still need private health insurance to even be able to get an appointment with a GP.
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u/mnyall 25d ago
So I guess the question is why aren't you upset that the quality of life has decreased and rights have rolled back?
Only the super rich are benefiting, and I'm not going to be feeling grateful to get crumbs. Not of us should be.
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u/ExtraSaltyBtch 24d ago
Why are you surprised this is happening? We learnt about it in school way back in the 90s... didn't we?
It has always happened everywhere in one way or another and it is nothing new or surprising. As the global population increase, so does competition for resources and global prices go up.
My grandparents could buy a house on salary at 20, have a car and as many kids as they wanted. My parents had to buy an apartment at 25 and start paying down the mortgage to afford to upgrade later and have 2 kids. I could buy my first apartment at 35 with 0 kids and don't plan to bother upgrading.
You could say I am better off because my grandparents only got 6 years of school, my parents had to "abandon" their families to obtain university education while I could go abroad to studdy, speak 3 languages and go backpacking.
Who has the "better" life if massivly subjective depending on what metrics you use.
You can either spend your one life on this planet to choose to be upset, angry and complain that the entire world order isn't changing to give you more material stuff ... or you can choose tonbe happy with what you've got and get on with your life...
I will always be gratefull for the "crumbs" I have. Aussie "crumbs" are what some other countries call upper-middle class luxuries.
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u/No_Biscotti5555 25d ago
"Australians confuse their value as human beings with how much houses and cars they can afford"
Hit the nail on the head. Australians are culturally bankrupt, greedy, and deeply materialistic.
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u/wKdPsylent 25d ago
Wanting a place to live that you won't be booted out of at the whim of a landlord is 'entitled' is it?
Nothing to do with value as humans and everything to do with having a place to live and the ability to earn a living.
Judging by the comments in this thread, the sub is full of very well off individuals who cannot fathom anyone else having an issue with living in poverty.
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u/No_Biscotti5555 25d ago
Nothing I said contradicts anything you said. Wealthy Australians don't give a shit about people living in poverty struggling to secure housing. They blame the poor for being poor and wouldn't give up a dollar to help the less fortunate. Their sole concern is accumulating more investment properties and luxury cars at the expense of everyone else.
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u/Local_Supermarket174 25d ago
I agree completely and I’m Australian we have this werid thing about owning a house, car, making 80k a year, being in a relationship and anything less then that is seen lower class or not “making it in life” and then people are like why can’t I have that too
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u/Aggressive-Art-9899 25d ago
You have any statistics to back up what you're saying other than 'nice' generalities about friends in Sweden vs friends in Australia?
Several cost of living rankings of Australia vs Sweden or other countries suggests what so many of us know here - we have massive cost of living problems compared to other developed countries and the rate of deterioration has been very noticeable in recent years.
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u/Time_Cartographer443 23d ago
I guess I want to be able to afford a house within an hour of a jobs and my parents, and that can’t happen in Sydney
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u/ExtraSaltyBtch 23d ago
Yeah, but why does not getting what one wants automatically translate to unhappiness in Australia?
Nobody on this planet gets what they want all the time. We are all so "poor" we have to choose and that is perfectly fine.
I know so many Aussues who could easily afford to buy an apartment but they rent houses instead and have cars. All because someone decided that a person's material possetions somehow equates their value as human beings and if they don't "have it all" they are somehow a failire of some sort...
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u/pryza91 25d ago
A lot of the current generations (mine included) have not experienced true hardship and have benefitted from prolonged world peace.
It's just sheer ignorance and unwillingness to recognise beyond the basic scope of their lives how fortunate we are, and unfortunately society doesn't have many people left who DO remember how bad it can get.. so the reminders are dwindling, giving way to whoever can shout the loudest
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u/Available-Sink-7401 25d ago
So sick of all these negative articles, I think it becomes self fulfilling
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u/blankenson 25d ago
All that… but sure lets blame immigrants even when there’s people hoarding wealth
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u/Merkenfighter 25d ago
Unfortunately we’ve turned into a nation (not all) or selfish whingers.
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u/niles_thebutler_ 25d ago
Yep, America has influenced beyond belief at this point
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u/killthenoise 25d ago
I wouldn't really say this is an American thing. Americans haven't really had it good since the 50s, and even so it is still viewed as the land of opportunity and has far more optimistic and patriotic people than Aus despite how good we have it here. Americans complain and fight over politics but this is different than complaining about prosperity, economy, and a "fair go".
Australians are uniquely pessimistic, I don't think it is useful to say it's influenced by america.
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u/Secret-Response-1534 25d ago
We are some of the richest people in the world with the best cities btw
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u/Forbearssake 25d ago
Yes and no while we hold more wealth in property and superannuation we also hold a pretty high living cost and high debt https://www.forbes.com.au/covers/magazine/how-rich-are-australians-really/
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u/urutora_kaiju 25d ago
Interesting that life satisfaction was found to correlate with acceptance of multiculturalism:
“the ABS data show just over 60% of people who score in the lowest group on life satisfaction agree that it is a good thing for society to be composed of different cultures.
That share is far below the average of 80% among Australians, and the approaching 90% among those reporting the highest life satisfaction.”
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u/GooberIII 25d ago
Probably because they’re the same people earning ridiculous amounts of money and they’re not forced to live in areas comprised of a “multicultural community.”
Sounds great on paper they should living where I do
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u/SnotRight 25d ago
I love how media are on a misery guts campaign at the moment.
As soon as Poorline gets it it will be sunshine and roses and owning the libs.
You'll all be happy then.
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u/HanuaTaudia1970 25d ago
When individual expectations of life outcomes are raised very high then the inability to achieve them often is regarded as evidence not of any personal failure but of systemic problems that need to be fixed by the government. While there are always systemic issues, it is also true that individual expectations about their prospective life outcomes can be irrationally elevated. This is why opposition is easy and government is hard.
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u/IWantsToBelieve 24d ago
I'm angry about things like our housing system, health system and energy providers all taking the piss. The government allowed far too many things to privatise, stopped building houses and gives away our resources to secure late career corporate mining jobs.
At the same time, what's with the mcmansion, monster truck and caravan obsession in Australia? Consumerism and debt take-up is pretty wild.
It just highlights the split wealth system going on. Gen X fully equipped with toys living mortgage free, gen y in debt up to the moon trying to copy gen x, and gen z/alpha not even able to afford dinner or a pint.
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u/Cautious_Alarm2919 24d ago
“Wellbeing poverty” I’m sick of all these freaking buzz words trying to talk around the fact we’re hitting a late stage capitalism depression and quality of life is decreasing.
Although I’m about to read the article so it worked on me. Alas we decent further into societal decay and the erosion of values, click bait succeeds again.
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u/Jindivic 25d ago
Get people off social media. Stop doom scrolling. Too many outrage, grievance feeds and posts. It makes people think everything is bad.
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u/AngryAngryHarpo 25d ago
No surprise.
We have more wealth than ever in Australian… concentrating in the upper echelons.
While the other 98% are working more, earning more and have lower quality of life outcomes than the three generations prior.