MEASURES OF AUSTRALIA'S PROGRESS, 2010

Measures of Australia's Progress, 2010 (cat. no. 1370.0) was released on 15 September 2010.

Measures of Australia's Progress (MAP) presents reliable, easy to understand information that describes how Australia is progressing across a range of social, economic and environmental measures. MAP is designed to inform and stimulate public debate and encourage all Australians to assess a broader view of progress.

How has Australia progressed?

• Health: During the past decade Australia's health improved – children born in 2009 were expected to live two or three years longer than those born in 1999.
• Education and training: During the past 10 years, the Australian population became more educated - between 1999 and 2009 the proportion of people with a vocational or higher education qualification rose from 49% to 63%.
• Work: Despite the recent economic downturn, Australia's annual average unemployment rate was lower in 2009 (5.6%) than in 1999 (6.9%).
• National income: Australia experienced significant real income growth during the past decade. Between 1998-99 and 2008-09, real net national disposable income per capita grew by 2.6% a year.
• National wealth: National wealth, as measured in Australia's balance sheet, grew over the last decade. Real national net worth per capita increased by about 0.9% a year between June 1999 and June 2009.
• Household economic wellbeing: In the decade to 2007-08, the real average household income of low income Australians grew by 41% and over the same period the real average household income of middle income Australians grew by 46%.

• Biodiversity: There's been a decline in Australia's biodiversity over the past decade with the number of threatened fauna species increasing by 37%.
• Atmosphere: Australia's total net greenhouse gas emissions in 2008 were 16% higher than they were in 1998.