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  • Mar, 2012

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    Income Level to be Middle Income

    Q. What annual income level would you say was “middle income” for a single person?

    What annual income level would you say was “middle income” for a family of 2 parents and 2 children?

     

    Single Person

    Family

     

    Total

    Income under $1,000pw

    Income $1,000 – $1,600pw

    Income $1,600+

    Total

    Income under $1,000pw

    Income $1,000 – $1,600pw

    Income $1,600+

    Less than $40,000

    6%

    13%

    4%

    1%

    1%

    3%

    $40,000-$59,000

    31%

    35%

    34%

    28%

    7%

    14%

    5%

    2%

    $60,000-$79,000

    38%

    32%

    41%

    47%

    21%

    27%

    25%

    15%

    $80,000-$99,000

    15%

    12%

    14%

    17%

    28%

    26%

    33%

    29%

    $100,000-$119,000

    3%

    2%

    4%

    3%

    20%

    14%

    21%

    26%

    $120,000-$149,000

    1%

    1%

    1%

    1%

    11%

    9%

    8%

    17%

    $150,000-$199,000

    *

    1%

    5%

    2%

    4%

    10%

    $200,000 or more

    *

    1%

    1%

    Don’t know

    5%

    5%

    2%

    1%

    5%

    5%

    3%

    1%

    median

    $66,000

    $60,000

    $65,000

    $69,000

    $94,000

    $83,000

    $92,000

    $103,000

    69% of respondents think that “middle income” for a single person is between $40,00 and $79,000 a year. 38% think it is $60,000-$79,000.

    80% of those earning under $1,000 pw think “middle income” for a single person is less than $80,000, while those on more than $1,600 pw are most likely to think it is $60,000-$79,000 (47%). The median (average) income for “middle income” for a single person is $66,000.

    Estimates are more broadly spread when it comes to “middle income” families – 69% think it would be between $60,000 and $119,000. 65% think it would be at least $80,000. The median (average) income for “middle income” for a family is $94,000.

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  • Mar, 2012

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    Income Level to be Well Off

    Q. What annual income level would you say was the minimum to be “well off” for a single person?

    What annual income level would you say was the minimum to be “well off” for a family of 2 parents and 2 children?

    Single Person

    Family

     

    Total

    Income under $1,000pw

    Income $1,000 – $1,600pw

    Income $1,600+

    Total

    Income under $1,000pw

    Income $1,000 – $1,600pw

    Income $1,600+

    $40,000

    9%

    15%

    7%

    5%

    1%

    2%

    *

    1%

    $60,000

    26%

    28%

    31%

    23%

    6%

    13%

    5%

    2%

    $80,000

    28%

    25%

    27%

    33%

    15%

    21%

    17%

    10%

    $100,000

    19%

    15%

    20%

    24%

    17%

    19%

    19%

    15%

    $120,000

    7%

    5%

    6%

    9%

    16%

    12%

    19%

    17%

    $150,000

    3%

    3%

    3%

    5%

    21%

    16%

    18%

    29%

    $200,000

    1%

    *

    1%

    1%

    12%

    5%

    14%

    18%

    $300,000

    1%

    2%

    *

    1%

    3%

    3%

    2%

    5%

    $500,000

    *

    *

    1%

    2%

    3%

    1%

    1%

    $1 million

    1%

    1%

    1%

    1%

    1%

    1%

    1%

    Don’t know

    5%

    6%

    4%

    1%

    5%

    5%

    4%

    1%

    median

    $69,000

    $63,000

    $67,000

    $73,000

    $111,000

    $93,000

    $107,000

    $123,000

    63% think that a single person earning $80,000 would be considered “well off”. The average (median) minimum income for a single person to be considered “well off” was $69,000.

    55% think that a family earning $120,000 would be considered “well off”. The average (median) minimum income for a family to be considered “well off” was $111,000.

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  • Mar, 2012

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    Income Level to be Wealthy

    Q. What annual income level would you say was the minimum to be “wealthy” for a single person?

    What annual income level would you say was the minimum to be “wealthy” for a family of 2 parents and 2 children?

    Single Person

    Family

     

    Total

    Income under $1,000pw

    Income $1,000 – $1,600pw

    Income $1,600+

    Total

    Income under $1,000pw

    Income $1,000 – $1,600pw

    Income $1,600+

    $40,000

    2%

    3%

    1%

    1%

    1%

    $60,000

    6%

    10%

    4%

    6%

    2%

    2%

    3%

    *

    $80,000

    15%

    17%

    20%

    10%

    4%

    7%

    3%

    2%

    $100,000

    21%

    19%

    25%

    23%

    9%

    13%

    10%

    5%

    $120,000

    14%

    11%

    15%

    17%

    9%

    10%

    13%

    6%

    $150,000

    17%

    18%

    13%

    22%

    19%

    17%

    22%

    20%

    $200,000

    10%

    8%

    10%

    11%

    22%

    20%

    16%

    32%

    $300,000

    4%

    3%

    4%

    4%

    15%

    10%

    15%

    19%

    $500,000

    4%

    3%

    6%

    3%

    9%

    9%

    11%

    7%

    $1 million

    3%

    3%

    1%

    3%

    5%

    4%

    4%

    7%

    Don’t know

    5%

    4%

    2%

    1%

    5%

    5%

    3%

    1%

    median

    $106,000

    $102,000

    $98,000

    $113,000

    $159,000

    $146,000

    $147,000

    $182,000

    58% think that a single person earning $120,000 would be considered “wealthy”. The average (median) minimum income for a single person to be considered “wealthy” was $106,000.

    66% think that a family earning $200,000 would be considered “wealthy”. The average (median) minimum income for a family to be considered “wealthy” was $159,000.

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  • Mar, 2012

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    Social Class

    Q. Do you believe social classes still exist in Australia? 

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Income under $600pw

    Income $600 – $1,000pw

    Income $1,000 – $1,600pw

    Income $1,600+

    Yes

    86%

    87%

    83%

    90%

    84%

    86%

    84%

    87%

    No

    8%

    8%

    11%

    3%

    5%

    7%

    10%

    8%

    Don’t know

    7%

    5%

    6%

    7%

    10%

    7%

    7%

    5%

    86% agreed that social class still exists in Australia – only 8% disagreed. There was little difference across demographic groups – more than 80% of all major groups agreed.

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  • Mar, 2012

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    Social Class Identification

    Q. Do you consider yourself –

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Income under $600pw

    Income $600 – $1,000pw

    Income $1,000 – $1,600pw

    Income $1,600+

    Working class

    34%

    41%

    30%

    24%

    40%

    44%

    40%

    22%

    Middle class

    50%

    46%

    54%

    64%

    31%

    36%

    52%

    69%

    Upper class

    1%

    *

    1%

    *

    1%

    2%

    None of them

    12%

    11%

    12%

    12%

    27%

    18%

    6%

    5%

    Don’t know

    3%

    2%

    2%

    1%

    2%

    1%

    1%

    50% of respondents described themselves as “middle class” and 34% as “working class” – only 1% claimed to be “upper class”.

    Those on higher incomes were more likely to identify as “middle class” while those on lower incomes were less likely to identify with any of these descriptions.

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