Original article by Simon Kuestenmacher
The New Daily – Page: Online : 3-Dec-25

The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey is one of the most important datasets in the country. The longitudinal study has been run by the Melbourne Institute since 2001 and is conducted by Roy Morgan. It tracks the same households year after year, capturing how life events ripple through finances, wellbeing and behaviour over time. The HILDA data shows that real household incomes are 35 per cent higher than in 2001, but Australians are feeling poorer now than two decades ago; while people have more money, they also face higher costs in categories they cannot avoid, such as housing, insurance and childcare. The data also shows that Australians are working later into life, while loneliness is rising, with Australians now having fewer close friends and less frequent social contact.

CORPORATES
UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE. INSTITUTE OF APPLIED ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH, ROY MORGAN LIMITED