Measures of Australia’s Progress

1. Measures of Australia’s Progress Is life in Australia getting better? Susan Linacre Deputy Australian Statistician Social Statistics Group

2. ‘If the GDP is up, why is America so down’ Clifford Cobb, Ted Halstead and Jonathon Rowe Oct 1995

3. Approaches to Measuring Progress • Life satisfaction or happiness • A single composite indicator e.g. Human Development Index and Genuine Progress Indicator • A set of integrated accounts that presents social economic and environmental data in a unified system • Suite of indicators to inform judgements

4. Individuals Health Education and training Work Culture and leisure The Economy and Economic Resources National Income Economic hardship National wealth Housing Productivity Competitiveness and openness Inflation Living together Family, community and social cohesion Crime Communication Transport Democracy, governance and citizenship The Environment The natural landscape The air and atmosphere Oceans and estuaries Dimensions

5. GDP • Between 1997 and 2007, GDP rose by 26% in real terms from $38,200 to $48,000 per person. • This represents average annual growth of 2.3%.

6. Health • Between 1996 and 2006 life expectancy at birth for males rose by 3 years to 79 years and for women by 2 years to 83 years.

7. Education and training • Over the 10 years to 2007, the proportion of the population aged 25–64 years with a non-school qualification rose from 46% to 59%, continuing the trend from previous decades.

8. Work • Between 1997 and 2007, the annual average unemployment rate fell from 8.3% to 4.4%. • The labour force underutilisation rate fell from 13.6% to 8.9%.

9. National income • Between 1996-97 and 2006-07, real net national disposable income per person grew by 2.9% a year on average.

10. Economic hardship • The average real equivalised disposable household income of people in the low income group rose by about 30% between 1994-95 and 2005-06.

11. National wealth • Between 1997 and 2007, Australia’s real net worth per person rose at an average annual rate of 0.9%.

12. Productivity • During the decade 1996-97 to 2006-07, multifactor productivity rose by 1.1% per year on average.

13. The natural landscapeBiodiversity • Between 2000 and 2007, the number of terrestrial bird and mammal species assessed as extinct, endangered or vulnerable rose by 14% from 153 to 174 (of which 69 were birds and 105 were mammals).

14. The natural landscapeBiodiversity • The estimated 333,600 ha of Australian land cleared in 2005 was 6% more than the 314,700 ha cleared in 1995. • Of land cleared in 2005, almost half (152,400 ha) was ‘forest conversion' (forest cleared for the first time). This was 18% less than the area converted in 1995 (186,900 ha).

15. The natural landscapeLand • In 2000, about 46,500 km² (4.65 million ha) of agricultural land had a high salinity hazard or were at high risk from shallow watertables. • About 11,800 km of streams and lake edges, 1,600 km of rail and 19,900 km of roads were at risk from salinity.

16. The natural landscapeInland waters • In 2005, 1% of 256 surface water management areas were assessed to be over-allocated and 17% were developed to a high level. • About 5% of 356 groundwater management units were assessed to be over-allocated and 24% had a high level of development.

17. The air and atmosphere • Fine particle health standards were exceeded in selected urban areas on about one to two days on average each year between 1997 and 2006. • The exceptions in 2002, 2003 and 2006 were associated with bushfires.

18. The air and atmosphere • Australia's net greenhouse gas emissions increased by 14% between 1996 and 2006. • This was 4% above 1990 levels and within the Kyoto target of no more than 8% increase by 2012.

19. Family, community and social cohesion • No headline indicator

20. Crime • Victimisation prevalence rates for selected personal crimes showed an increase between 1998 and 2005 from 4.8% to 5.3%. Most of these people were assaulted. • Between 1998 and 2005, the proportion of households that were victims of selected household crimes fell from 9.0% to 6.2%.

21. Democracy, governance and citizenship • No headline indicator

22. 10-year change in headline indicators and GDP * direction of change reversed to highlight improvements on RHS of graph and regression on LHS of graph

23. What else do we need to know? • Other indicators • Distribution across geography and population groups? • What is going on behind the headline indicator? • Relationships among dimensions? • Other dimensions?

24. Health risk factors Overweight/obese (BMI 25+) Little or low exercise Risky drinking Current smokers Source: ABS, National Health Survey

25. Distribution across population groups • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples • Males/females • Low income • Disability • Country of birth

26. Geographic distribution • State/territory • Remote/non-remote • Urban/rural • Community level

27. Gaps • Headline dimension, indicator but scarce data: • Salinity • Headline dimension but no single indicator • Housing • Oceans and estuaries • Family, community and social cohesion • Democracy, governance and citizenship

28. MAP • first released 2002 - Dennis Trewin’s award in society category of The Bulletin’s Smart 100 2003 • subsequent reports 2004 and 2006 • indicators updated each year on the ABS website • most recent update August 2008

29. Future Challenges • Consultation and engagement • Filling the gaps, building the framework • Presentation, communication, debate