Personal Income in Australia

• most persons (76.9 per cent) received Employee income as their main source (up from 76.7 per cent in the previous year)
• Employee income was also the highest individual source of income, with a median of $49,083 (an increase of 1.4 per cent on the previous year)
• the next highest source of income was Superannuation income, with a median of $20,669 (an increase of 3.7 per cent on the previous financial year), but this was the main source of income for only 1.7 per cent of persons (the same as the previous year)
   

• The Australian Capital Territory continues to record the highest median Total income, but the second slowest growth rate over the six year period
• Western Australia had the third highest median Total income, but the slowest overall growth rate over the six year period
• New South Wales had fourth highest median Total income but the fastest growth rate over the six year period
   

A selection of income indicators are presented in Table 1, providing an overview of the distribution of income across Australia.

In 2016-17, the three local government areas with the highest median total income in Australia were:

• Ashburton in Western Australia,
• Peppermint Grove in Western Australia, and
• Roxby Downs in South Australia
   

The following median personal incomes are for areas with more than 1,000 earners.

The Gini coefficient is a summary indicator between 0 and 1 that indicates the degree of inequality among total incomes within a region. A value of 0 indicates that all earners reported the same amount of income in that region. Higher values represent relatively higher levels of income inequality. The following Gini coefficients are for areas with more than 1,000 earners living within them and excludes the Australian Capital Territory, which does not have local government areas.

In 2016-17,

the following local government areas had the least income inequality (the lowest Gini coefficients) in Australia:

• Brighton region in Tasmania
• Weipa region in Queensland
• Roxby Downs region in South Australia
   

the following local government areas, all in Western Australia, had the most income inequality (the highest Gini coefficients) in Australia:

• Peppermint Grove
• Cottesloe
• Nedlands
   

Data from the Survey of Income and Housing (SIH) provides the best source of information for calculating Gini coefficients and measuring income inequality. As such, estimates from Household Income and Wealth, Australia (cat. not. 6523.0) should be used wherever possible, particularly at the Australia, State and Territory, and Greater Capital City Statistical Area levels. Gini coefficients from Personal Income in Australia should be considered complementary information, which provide insights for lower geographic levels.

This release previously used catalogue number 6524.0.55.002.