Index of Household Advantage and Disadvantage

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Provides a summary measure of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage at the household level, using Census data

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Reference period
2021

Key statistics

According to IHAD 2021:

  • at the State and Territory level, the Northern Territory has the highest proportion of people living in relatively disadvantaged households (30.3%), excluding other territories (32.2%).  The Australian Capital Territory has the lowest proportion (9.8%)
  • at the State and Territory level, the Australian Capital Territory has the highest proportion of people living in relatively advantaged households (48.2%). Tasmania has the lowest proportion (23.4%), excluding other territories (16.1%)
  • six of the top ten Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2)s with the highest proportion of relatively disadvantaged households (quartile 1) are in Queensland; the other four are in the Northern Territory
  • of the top ten SA2s with the highest proportion of relatively advantaged households (quartile 4), six are in New South Wales, three are in the Australian Capital Territory, and one is in Queensland
  • both lists (below) of top ten SA2s are also relatively disadvantaged (quartile 1) or relatively advantaged (quartile 4) for the Socio-economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD) 2021, demonstrating how IHAD can reveal the diversity of area level disadvantage and advantage for households
State and Territory, percentage of persons living in households in the IHAD 2021 quartiles
State/TerritoryPercentage of persons in the IHAD Quartiles(a)(b):Usual resident population(c)
Quartile 1Quartile 2Quartile 3Quartile 4
New South Wales18.120.825.735.38,072,163
Victoria16.421.126.835.86,503,491
Queensland19.123.626.930.45,156,138
South Australia21.324.725.628.41,781,516
Western Australia16.420.528.434.62,660,026
Tasmania25.125.526.023.4557,571
Northern Territory30.319.024.126.6232,605
Australian Capital Territory9.815.426.648.2454,499
Other Territories32.225.825.816.14,788
Australia(d)18.021.726.533.825,422,788

This table is based on place of usual residence.

(a) Percentages are based on counts of persons who were at home on Census Night in an occupied private dwelling. Persons who were in dwellings out of scope of the IHAD (e.g. visitor only and other non-classifiable households) and/or not in their usual residence on Census Night, were excluded. 
(b) Proportion totals may equal more than 100% due to rounding and random adjustments made to the data.
(c) Population counts are based on place of usual residence as reported on Census Night. These include persons out of scope of the IHAD.
(d) The quartile groups include approximately 25% of in-scope households for Australia, however the number of persons in these households will not equal 25% per quartile due to differences in household size.

Top ten SA2s with the highest proportion of households in IHAD 2021 Quartile 1 (indicating relatively greater disadvantage and a lack of advantage in general)
SA2 NamePercentage of households in IHAD Quartile 1(a)SEIFA IRSAD Quartile(b)Occupied Private Dwellings(c)State or Territory
Aurukun93.01228Queensland
Palm Island91.61487Queensland
Torres Strait Islands88.711,010Queensland
Yarrabah88.01484Queensland
Kowanyama - Pormpuraaw85.51386Queensland
Tiwi Islands83.91603Northern Territory
Thamarrurr82.51365Northern Territory
West Arnhem81.21844Northern Territory
Northern Peninsula80.61669Queensland
East Arnhem79.711,066Northern Territory

(a) The scope of the IHAD is classifiable occupied private dwellings. Unoccupied private dwellings, non-private dwellings, and non-classifiable occupied private dwellings (e.g. visitors only) are all excluded.
(b) Socio-economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD) quartile
(c) Dwellings in-scope of the IHAD i.e. classifiable occupied private dwellings.

Top ten SA2s with the highest proportion of households in IHAD 2021 Quartile 4 (indicating a relative lack of disadvantage and greater advantage in general)
SA2 NamePercentage of households in IHAD Quartile 4(a)SEIFA IRSAD Quartile (b)Occupied Private Dwellings(c)State or Territory
Throsby65.04712Australian Capital Territory
Schofields (West) - Colebee64.942,793New South Wales
Forde64.941369Australian Capital Territory
Fig Tree Pocket64.041,347Queensland
Denman Prospect63.94975Australian Capital Territory
Box Hill - Nelson63.843,043New South Wales
Googong62.741,923New South Wales
Marsden Park - Shanes Park62.244,429New South Wales
North Kellyville61.845,060New South Wales
Castle Hill - West61.641,544New South Wales

(a) The scope of the IHAD is classifiable occupied private dwellings. Unoccupied private dwellings, non-private dwellings, and non-classifiable occupied private dwellings (e.g. visitors only) are all excluded.
(b) Socio-economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD) quartile
(c) Dwellings in-scope of the IHAD i.e. classifiable occupied private dwellings.

Overview

The Index of Household Advantage and Disadvantage (IHAD) summarises relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage for households.  A household is defined as one or more persons, at least one of whom is at least 15 years of age, usually resident in the same private dwelling. 

IHAD uses information from the 2021 Census of Population and Housing on the characteristics of each household and the people living in them. This includes Census data such as housing, family, education, occupation, and income.

The conceptual basis for IHAD is similar to the Index of Relative Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD) from Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA).  IRSAD summarises advantage and disadvantage at an area level. A relatively advantaged area is likely to contain households that are relatively disadvantaged; a disadvantaged area is likely to contain households that are relatively advantaged. Household level socio-economic advantage and disadvantage is diverse within areas and this diversity varies across states and territories. IHAD quartiles summarise the diversity of area level advantage and disadvantage at household level, adding value to the use of SEIFA IRSAD for research and planning.

Because IHAD is derived at household level it can also be cross classified with other Census variables not included in the index, to assist in exploring household level advantage and disadvantage for different population groups.

Tablebuilder

The IHAD has been made available via Census TableBuilder Pro within three separate datasets.

  1. 2021 Census - counting dwellings, place of enumeration
  2. 2021 Census - counting families, place of enumeration
  3. 2021 Census - counting persons, place of enumeration

Census TableBuilder Pro is an online data tool free for organisation members in which you can build your own tables of Census data. It is designed to help you produce data specific to your needs through a flexible online user interface. 

Geography

IHAD 2021 is published on the following geographies:

  • Statistical Area Level 1 (SA1)
  • Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2)
  • States and territories

Interactive maps

These interactive maps display the proportion of in-scope dwellings in SA2s that fall into IHAD quartile 1, indicating relatively greater disadvantage and lack of advantage in general, and IHAD quartile 4, indicating a relative lack of disadvantage and greater advantage in general. All SA2s are ordered from lowest to highest score, the lowest 25% of SA2s are given a quartile number of 1, the next lowest 25% of SA2s are given a quartile number of 2 and so on, up to the highest 25% of SA2s which are given a quartile number of 4.

Note: SA2s that did not receive a SEIFA IRSAD score are excluded and their IHAD quartile proportions are not provided. 

Proportion of dwellings in IHAD quartile 1 by Statistical Areas Level 2

This interactive map displays the proportion of in-scope dwellings in the SA2s that fall into IHAD quartile 1, indicating relatively greater disadvantage and a lack of advantage in general. The percentage in IHAD quartile 1 is divided into six data classes:

  • 50% or more (darkest pink)
  • 30% to less than 50% (dark pink)
  • 20% to less than 30% (pink)
  • 10% to less than 20% (light pink)
  • Less than 10% (lightest pink)
  • No Data (grey)

Accessibility statement: We are committed to providing information and services to the widest possible audience. We’ve designed this website to comply with the Australian Government Digital Service Standard and aim to meet the latest WCAG Guidelines which describe how to make web content more usable and accessible for everyone. However, some functions of this interactive map may be inaccessible, or difficult to use with assistive technology. All data underlying this map can be downloaded in table format from the Data downloads section of this publication. For further information or assistance, or to advise of accessibility issues with this product, please email client.services@abs.gov.au.

Source

Index of Household Advantage and Disadvantage 2021 

Proportion of dwellings in IHAD quartile 4 by Statistical Areas Level 2

This interactive map displays the proportion of in-scope dwellings in the SA2s that fall into IHAD quartile 4, indicating a relative lack of disadvantage and greater advantage in general. The percentage in IHAD quartile 4 is divided into six data classes:

  • 50% or more (darkest purple)
  • 30% to less than 50% (dark purple)
  • 20% to less than 30% (purple)
  • 10% to less than 20% (light purple)
  • Less than 10% (lightest purple)
  • No Data (grey)

Accessibility statement: We are committed to providing information and services to the widest possible audience. We’ve designed this website to comply with the Australian Government Digital Service Standard and aim to meet the latest WCAG Guidelines which describe how to make web content more usable and accessible for everyone. However, some functions of this interactive map may be inaccessible, or difficult to use with assistive technology. All data underlying this map can be downloaded in table format from the Data downloads section of this publication. For further information or assistance, or to advise of accessibility issues with this product, please email client.services@abs.gov.au.

Source

Index of Household Advantage and Disadvantage 2021

Data downloads

Statistical Areas Level 1

Presents information at the household level; the percentage of households within each IHAD quartile for Statistical Areas Level 1 (SA1s).

Statistical Areas Level 2

Presents information at the household level; the percentage of households within each IHAD quartile for Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2s).

States and territories

Presents information at the person level; the percentage of persons living in households within each IHAD quartile for states and territories, and Australia. All people living in a household are assigned the same IHAD quartile number that corresponds with their household's IHAD quartile number.

For example, Table 1 State and territory, percentage of persons in the IHAD quartiles, by Indigenous status. For people living in NSW, there are:

  • 17.3% of non-Indigenous people living in a household in the most disadvantaged IHAD quartile, and
  • 39.3% of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people living in a household in the most disadvantaged IHAD quartile.
Download all (6.16 MB)

Data cubes

Data files

Web services

IHAD 2021 is available as a web service for the following geographies:

Technical paper

Index of Household Advantage and Disadvantage (IHAD): Technical Paper, 2021 | Australian Bureau of Statistics

Methodology

Index of Household Advantage and Disadvantage (IHAD): Methodology, 2021 | Australian Bureau of Statistics