Household Impacts of COVID-19 Survey

This publication presents results from the Household Impacts of COVID-19 Survey, a longitudinal survey which collects information from the same panel each month. The May 2021 survey was run between 14 and 23 May 2021 via online forms and telephone interviews. The survey included 3,371 continuing participants, a response rate of 86% of the total panel.

The May 2021 survey collected information on:

• actions taken to manage health and mental health
• attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines
• domestic and international travel intentions
• unpaid work on selected activities
• household finances (including stress, actions and changes)
• absences from work
• job status.

The scope of the survey was people aged 18 years and over in private dwellings across Australia (excluding very remote areas).

This survey is designed to provide a quick snapshot of the changing social and economic situation for Australian households with particular focus on how they are faring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each cycle collects information on different topics.

From 1 April to 10 July 2020, the survey was conducted fortnightly with the same panel for eight cycles. From August 2020, a new panel of respondents was selected for a monthly survey. Panel members have rotated, with new members added in November 2020 and March 2021. The results for all past surveys can be accessed by selecting ‘View all releases’ in the header of this publication.

Some topics have been repeated in both the fortnightly and monthly surveys. Where relevant, comparisons are made based on the weighted representative data for both surveys. The monthly survey gathered information via online forms and telephone interviews. The previous fortnightly survey was collected via the telephone only. This change in survey methodology means that comparing topics across the two survey iterations should be treated with caution.

Proportions marked with an asterisk (*) have a Margin of Error (MoE) greater than 10 percentage points which should be considered when using this information. For more information about MoEs refer to the publication Methodology.

From 14 to 23 May 2021, when this survey was conducted, states and territories predominately identified new cases of COVID-19 from overseas. The risk of further transmission was managed through hotel quarantine. There were no locally transmitted cases identified during the period of enumeration.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, initiatives in place to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and support the economy included:

• ongoing international travel restrictions 
• border control measures for some states and territories
• two economic stimulus packages (12 March and 22 March 2020)
• a safety net package of $1.1 billion to expand mental health and Telehealth services, increase domestic violence services and provide more emergency food relief (29 March 2020)
• stimulus payments including:
  • a Coronavirus Supplement paid fortnightly from 27 April 2020 to eligible income support recipients along with their usual payments (reduced in September 2020 and January 2021, and ended 31 March 2021)
  • a JobKeeper Payment passed in legislation on 15 April 2020 and paid to employers to keep more Australians in jobs and support businesses affected by the COVID-19 restrictions (reduced to include two tiers in September 2020 and January 2021, and ended 28 March 2021)
• various restrictions, including shutting down non-essential services, limits on gatherings and social distancing rules from March 2020
• a guided easing of these restrictions in many states and territories using the National Cabinet agreed three step framework introduced in early May 2020
• a COVID-19 vaccination program from February 2021
• subsidised airfares to encourage tourism in selected locations around Australia.

All states and territories have eased restrictions other than for large gatherings or occasions where social distancing is difficult. Most jurisdictions require facemasks to be worn at airports and for air travel. There were no lockdowns while the May survey was conducted.

Participation in the COVID-19 vaccination program in Australia is in phases. At the time of the survey, Phase 1 of the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines was continuing. This included people aged 70 years and over, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 years and over, people with disability or an underlying medical condition and a range of workers in specific roles.

Phase 2 of the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines in Australia was also beginning in May. This included people aged 50 years and over, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 16 to 49 years and other critical and high-risk workers.

• Over two in three (68%) people reported their physical health in May 2021 was about the same as before COVID-19 (or March 2020).
• Since March 2020, 89% of people have participated in one or more activities to manage their physical health.
• The most common activities for managing physical health were walking regularly for transport, exercise, recreation or sport (60%), watching or changing diet (48%), regularly doing physical activity (excluding walking) (47%) and getting enough sleep (39%).
• Almost one third (32%) of people have placed more or much more priority on their physical health since March 2020.

In May 2021, Australians aged 18 years and over were asked to assess their overall physical health on a five-point scale ranging from excellent to poor.

Almost half (48%) of people reported their physical health to be excellent or very good (an increase from 43% in January), while 16% reported their physical health as fair or poor (a decrease from 20% in January).

When asked to compare their physical health now with before COVID-19 (or March 2020):

• 68% of people reported their physical health was about the same
• 18% reported their physical health was worse or much worse
• 14% reported their physical health was better or much better.

Those more likely to report that their physical health was worse or much worse were:

• people in Victoria (21%) compared with those in Western Australia (14%)
• people with disability (24%) compared with those without disability (16%)
• people with a long-term health condition (22%) compared with those without a long-term health condition (15%).

People were asked about activities they used to manage their physical health since 1 March 2020, excluding formal health services.

Almost nine in 10 (89%) people reported they participated in one or more activities to manage their physical health. Commonly reported activities included:

• walking regularly for transport, exercise, recreation or sport (60%)
• watching or changing their diet (48%)
• regularly doing physical activity (excluding walking) (47%)
• getting enough sleep (39%).

Since 1 March 2020:

• people in Victoria (66%) were more likely to be walking regularly for transport, exercise, recreation or sport than those in Queensland (58%), Western Australia (53%) and South Australia (52%)
• people without a long-term health condition (51%) were more likely to be regularly doing physical exercise (excluding walking) than those with a long-term health condition (42%)
• women (52%) were more likely to be watching or changing their diet than men (44%)
• people in Northern Territory, Tasmania or Australian Capital Territory (48%) were more likely to be getting enough sleep than those in Queensland (38%), South Australia (38%) and Victoria (36%).

In May 2021, people were asked whether they were prioritising their overall physical health more, less or about the same, compared to before 1 March 2020.

Compared to before March 2020:

• 58% prioritised their physical health about the same
• 32% prioritised it more or much more
• 9% prioritised it less or much less.

People who reported that they had changed the priority of their physical health (i.e. they were prioritising their physical health either more or less) since 1 March 2020, were asked whether this was due to COVID-19. Over three in five (61%) people reported the change was not due to COVID-19, 23% reported that it was due to COVID-19, and 16% were not sure.

Those who had changed the priority of their physical health due to COVID-19 were more likely to be:

• people in Victoria (28%) and Queensland (26%) than those in South Australia (15%)
• people born overseas (35%) than those born in Australia (18%).

• In May 2021, more Australians (46%) reported their mental health to be excellent or very good compared with January 2021 (42%).
• Almost one in five Australians (19%) reported their mental health as worse or much worse than before COVID-19 (or March 2020). 
• Since 1 March 2020, 72% of Australians used one or more strategies to manage their mental health.
• More than one in four (27%) people put more or much more priority on their mental health since 1 March 2020.

The survey asked Australians aged 18 years and over to assess their mental health on a five-point scale ranging from excellent to poor.

The January and May 2021 iterations of the survey gathered information via online forms and telephone interviews. Self-assessed mental health was also asked in the July 2020 cycle, which gathered information via telephone only. This change in survey methodology means that comparisons of self-assessed mental health with July 2020 should be treated with caution. 

In May 2021:

• 46% of Australians reported their mental health to be excellent or very good
• 33% reported their mental health to be good
• 21% reported their mental health to be fair or poor.

More Australians (46%) reported their mental health to be excellent or very good in May 2021 compared with January 2021 (42%).

Similar proportions of Australians reported fair or poor mental health over the same period (21% in May and 22% in January 2021).

In May 2021, excellent or very good mental health was less likely to be reported by:

• women (43%) than men (50%)
• people aged 18 to 64 years (43%) than older people aged 65 years and over (59%)
• people who reported a mental health condition (17%) than people who reported no mental health condition (51%)
• people with disability (38%) than people with no disability (50%). 

When asked to compare their mental health in May 2021 to before COVID-19 (or March 2020):

• 13% of Australians reported their mental health was much better or better
• 67% reported their mental health was about the same
• 19% reported their mental health was worse or much worse.

Worse or much worse mental health was more likely to be reported by:

• people in Victoria (27%) than people in the rest of Australia (16%)
• people aged 18 to 64 years (21%) than those aged 65 years and over (11%)
• people who reported a mental health condition (32%) than people who did not report a mental health condition (17%)
• people with disability (23%) than those with no disability (17%)
• people who rented (24%) than those who owned without a mortgage (13%).

The May 2021 survey asked about the strategies used to manage mental health since 1 March 2020, excluding formal services. The selected strategies asked about included:

• taking non-prescription medicines, vitamins, supplements or herbal remedies
• changing your diet
• practising meditation, mindfulness, yoga or other relaxation techniques
• organising your home, life or other things
• practising thinking positively or setting achievable goals
• increasing your level of exercise or physical activity
• doing more of the things you enjoy
• seeking support from family or friends
• using alcohol or drugs
• cutting out alcohol or drugs
• using prescription medicines
• other strategies.

Since 1 March 2020, 72% of Australians used one or more strategies to manage their mental health.

Commonly reported strategies included organising their home, life or other things (36%), doing more of the things they enjoy (33%) and increasing their level of exercise or physical activity (31%).

Australians who used one or more strategies to manage their mental health were more likely to be:  

• women (77%) than men (67%)
• people aged 18 to 64 years (74%) than people aged 65 years and over (66%)
• people in Victoria (80%) than the rest of Australia (69%)
• people who reported a mental health condition (90%) than people who did not report a mental health condition (70%)
• people with disability (77%) than people with no disability (71%).

Respondents were asked whether they had prioritised their overall mental health since 1 March 2020.

Around seven in 10 (69%) people prioritised their mental health at around the same level as they had before March 2020.

More than one in four (27%) people put more or much more priority on their mental health since 1 March 2020.

Similar rates of women and men reported prioritising their mental health more or much more since 1 March 2020 (25% compared with 29%).

Younger Australians were more likely than older Australians to report prioritising their mental health more or much more since 1 March 2020 (29% of people aged 18 to 64 years compared with 16% of people aged 65 years and over).

People who reported a mental health condition were more likely to put more or much more priority on their mental health than people who did not report a mental health condition (45% compared with 24%).

• In May 2021, 68% of Australians agreed or strongly agreed that they would get a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available and is recommended for them, similar to April 2021 (68%), but a decrease from December 2020 (73%).
• The factors that would most affect the decision to get vaccinated were whether the vaccine is recommended by their GP or other health professional (27%), whether the vaccine has been in use for a long time with no serious side-effects (24%) and whether the vaccine is recommended by the Department of Health (19%).
• The main reasons people may not get a COVID-19 vaccination were concerns relating to potential side-effects (64%) and effectiveness of the vaccine (12%).

In May 2021, the survey asked how strongly people agreed or disagreed with statements about a COVID-19 vaccine. Similar questions were asked in previous months.

At the time of the survey, Phase 1 of the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines in Australia was continuing. This included people aged 70 years and over, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 years and over, people with disability or an underlying medical condition and a range of workers in specific roles.

Phase 2 of the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines in Australia was also beginning in May. This included people aged 50 years and over, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 16 to 49 years and other critical and high-risk workers.

In April and May 2021 people who had already received the vaccine were included with the strongly agree responses.

In May 2021, 68% of Australians agreed or strongly agreed that they would get a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available and is recommended for them, similar to April 2021 (68%), but a decrease from December 2020 (73%).

Those who agreed or strongly agreed with getting a COVID-19 vaccine were more likely to be:

• men (73%) than women (64%)
• people aged 70 years and over (84%) than those aged 18 to 34 years (70%), 35 to 49 years (61%) and 50 to 69 years (66%)
• people in Victoria (72%) than those in South Australia (62%)
• people living alone (71%) and in family households without children (71%) than those in family households with children (61%)
• people without a job (74%) than those with a job (66%).

One in eight (13%) people disagreed or strongly disagreed that they would get a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available and is recommended for them, similar to April 2021 (13%).

In May 2021, of people who said they would get a COVID-19 vaccination when it was available to them, the factors most affecting the decision were:

• a recommendation from their GP or other health professional (27%, similar to 26% in April 2021)
• whether the vaccine had been in use for a long time with no serious side-effects (24%, a decrease from 30% in April 2021)
• a recommendation from the Department of Health (19%, similar to 17% in April 2021).

People who disagreed or strongly disagreed (13%), or neither agreed nor disagreed (19%), that they would get a COVID-19 vaccination were asked the main reason why they may not get one. The most common reasons were:

• concerns relating to potential side-effects (64%, similar to 62% in April 2021)
• concerns about how effective a COVID-19 vaccine might be (12%, the same as 12% in April 2021).  

• Two in five (40%) Australians intend to travel between June and August 2021.
• Of those who did not intend to travel at this time, or who were unsure, two in three (66%) reported that they would like to travel.
• Over one in four (27%) Australians who want or intend to travel between June and August 2021, reported they were replacing earlier plans affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey asked about travel plans between June and August 2021 to see family or friends, for holidays or for recreation. At the time of the survey:

• travel within states and territories was open and encouraged
• travel between states and territories was open unless there was a declared hotspot or lockdown - no states or territories had lockdowns while the survey was conducted
• there were arrangements between Australia and New Zealand to allow travel without quarantine on arrival
• there was a ban on all travel out of Australia unless an exemption was granted for all countries other than New Zealand.

In May 2021:

• 40% of people intend to travel between June and August 2021
• 42% did not intend to travel
• 18% were unsure if they would travel.

Of those who did not intend to travel or who were unsure, two in three (66%) reported that they would like to travel.

The most common reasons for not travelling were:

• COVID-19 travel restrictions making it difficult or impossible to travel (29%)
• having no reason to travel or nowhere they wanted to go (28%)
• concerns about the risks of COVID-19 or COVID-19 outbreaks (26%)
• too much uncertainty (25%).

Of those who want or intend to travel between June and August 2021:

• 54% would travel to another state or territory within Australia
• 48% would travel within their own state or territory
• 25% would travel overseas (excluding New Zealand)
• 13% would travel to New Zealand.

One in 11 (9%) Australians who want or intend to travel between June and August 2021 intend to use the Government’s discounted airline ticket subsidy scheme (see the Methodology for details).

Over one in four (27%) Australians who want or intend to travel, reported their plans are a replacement for earlier plans affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of those who had plans affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, over half (55%) were intending to travel overseas and 48% were intending to travel to another state or territory within Australia.

The survey asked Australians who want or intend to travel if they thought their travel plans would go ahead.  Over half (53%) thought their plans would probably or definitely proceed. The remainder (46%) were unsure or thought they would probably or definitely not proceed.

Of those who thought their travel between June and August 2021 would not go ahead, the reasons included:

• COVID-19 restrictions could still happen in Australia (62%)
• risk of COVID-19 infection or outbreaks (34%)
• international travel restrictions due to COVID-19 (32%). 

• In May 2021, women were almost twice as likely as men to have spent 20 or more hours a week on unpaid caring and supervision of children (28% compared to 15%).
• Women were more likely than men to have spent five or more hours on unpaid indoor housework (62% compared with 35%).

The survey asked how many hours people spent in the previous week on selected unpaid activities. The activities included:

• caring for and supervising children
• caring for adults
• indoor housework including cleaning and laundry
• outdoor housework and repairs
• cooking and baking
• shopping for groceries and household essentials.

For May 2021, in the previous week:

• women were almost twice as likely as men to have spent 20 or more hours a week on unpaid caring and supervision of children (28% compared to 15%)
• over one in three (37%) people with a job spent five or more hours on unpaid care or supervision of children compared with almost one in four (23%) people without a job
• people aged 18 to 34 years (28%) and 35 to 64 years (35%) were more likely to have spent 10 or more hours on unpaid caring for and supervising children compared with people aged 65 years and over (9%)
• women were more likely than men to have spent five or more hours on unpaid indoor housework (62% compared with 35%)
• one in three (34%) people in family households with children spent 10 or more hours on unpaid indoor housework, compared with 18% of people in family households without children and 12% of people living alone
• almost two in three (64%) women spent five or more hours on unpaid cooking and baking, compared with almost two in five (37%) men.

For unpaid indoor housework in the last week:

• fewer men reported spending less than an hour in May 2021 (4%) compared with December 2020 (8%)
• more men reported spending 10 to 19 hours in May 2021 (9%) compared with December 2020 (6%).

For outdoor housework and repairs in the last week:

• more men reported spending one to four hours in May 2021 (42%) compared with December 2020 (34%)
• fewer men reported spending five to nine hours in May 2021 (12%) compared with December 2020 (18%).

For cooking and baking in the last week:

• fewer women reported spending one to four hours in May 2021 (29%) compared with December 2020 (36%)
• more women reported spending five to nine hours in May 2021 (42%) compared with December 2020 (35%).

• In May 2021, one in eight (12%) Australians reported their household finances had worsened, and one in 14 (7%) reported their household finances had improved in the last four weeks.
• One in five (20%) Australians reported their household took one or more financial actions to support basic living expenses due to a shortage of money.
• Three in four (76%) Australians reported their household could raise $2,000 for something important within a week.

Of Australians aged 18 years and over, in the last four weeks:

• 7% reported their household finances had improved (7% reported the same in February 2021)
• 81% reported their household finances remained the same (79% reported the same in February 2021)
• 12% reported their household finances had worsened (14% reported the same in February 2021).

Over the last 12 months:

• 17% of Australians reported their household finances had improved
• 60% reported their household finances remained the same
• 22% reported their household finances had worsened.

One in five (21%) Australians expect their household finances to improve over the next 12 months (18% reported the same in February 2021).

One in five (20%) Australians reported their household took one or more financial actions in the last four weeks to support basic living expenses in May 2021 (16% reported the same in January 2021).

Of the Australians who took at least one financial action to support basic living expenses in the last four weeks:

• 12% drew on accumulated savings or term deposits
• 3% entered into a loan agreement with family or friends
• 3% increased the balance owing on their credit card by $1,000 or more.

In May 2021, of Australians aged 18 years and over:

• 76% reported their household could raise $2,000 for something important within a week
• 12% reported their household could raise $500 but not $2,000
• 5% reported their household would be unable to raise $500 within a week.

People renting (10%) were more likely to report being unable to raise $500 for something important in a week than household owners without a mortgage (3%).

One in 13 (8%) Australians reported their household was unable to pay one or more selected bills on time over the last three months due to a shortage of money.

People with disability (12%) were more likely than people with no disability (7%) to report their household was unable to pay one or more selected bills on time over the last three months due to a shortage of money.

The majority (91%) of Australians reported their household expects to be able to pay bills received in the next three months.

• In May 2021, around three in 10 (29%) employed people had taken at least one all-day absence from work in the last two weeks.
• Of the employed people who had an all-day absence in the last two weeks, almost one in two (47%) had taken sick leave.
• Of the employed people who worked from home in the last four weeks, over one in four (28%) felt unwell at least once in the last two weeks and chose to work from home instead of taking an absence from work.

In May 2021, the survey asked questions about absences from work. The same set of questions were asked in November 2020. In May, around three in 10 (29%) employed people had taken at least one all-day absence from work in the last two weeks (compared with 21% in November 2020).

In May 2021, more employed people had taken one all-day absence from work than in November 2020 (12% compared with 7% in November). Fewer employed people had 10 or more days absent from work in May 2021 (2%) compared with November 2020 (4%).

For those who had at least one all-day absence from work in May 2021:

• 64% only used paid leave for all absences
• 27% only used unpaid leave for all absences
• 4% used both paid and unpaid leave.

The most common types of leave taken for employed people with at least one all-day absence in the last two weeks were:

• sick leave (47% in May 2021 compared with 31% in November 2020)
• annual or holiday leave (22% in May 2021 compared with 28% in November 2020).

Over two in five (44%) employed people worked from home one or more times in the last four weeks. Of these, over one in four (28%) felt unwell at least once in the last two weeks and chose to work from home instead of taking an absence from work.

Reasons for choosing to work from home rather than take leave included:

• the type of illness (41%*)
• personal preference (28%)
• to manage the risk of infecting others (27%)
• to manage caring and working responsibilities (27%).

One in 10 (10%) employed people reported working from home when unwell because they had no paid leave left.

• The proportion of Australians with a job working paid hours was the same in May 2021 (63%) and April 2021 (63%).

The survey collected changes to the job status of Australians when interviewed in mid-May. Responses are weighted and comparisons are included to show how the employment status of people has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Respondents were asked simple questions about changes to their job situation, rather than the full suite of employment-related questions included in the ABS’ Labour Force Survey (see the Labour Force Survey questionnaire, available from the Collection method chapter in the Labour force, Australia methodology publication). The results of this survey are, therefore, not directly comparable to Australia’s official Labour Force measures. The Margin of Error (MoE) on these estimates is greater than for Labour Force statistics (the Labour Force Survey sample is around 15 times larger). More information about measuring the labour market impacts of COVID-19 can be found here.

The proportion of Australians with a job working paid hours was the same in May 2021 (63%) and April 2021 (63%). The proportion of people with a job and not working paid hours has remained at a similar level since November 2020.

The results of the most recent Labour Force Survey, with data in respect of the two weeks from 4 to 17 April 2021, collected over the three weeks from 11 April to 1 May 2021, can be found using the following link: Labour Force, Australia, April 2021. The May 2021 results will be released 17 June 2021.

The ABS will follow up with the panel for the final time in June 2021 to undertake the eleventh cycle of the monthly Household Impacts of COVID-19 Survey. The topics include:

• emotional and mental wellbeing
• COVID-19 vaccine attitudes and experiences
• symptom testing behaviours
• health precautions
• expectations for household income, saving and spending
• training and development of skills
• participation in selected activities
• life after the COVID-19 pandemic
• job status.

Information from the June survey will be released in mid-July 2021.

The ABS would like to thank all participants for their involvement in the survey. The information collected is of value to inform government and community responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This release previously used catalogue number 4940.0