Middle class, Social Class, Working class
Q. Do you consider yourself –
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/ |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Income under $600 |
Income $600 – $1,000 |
Income $1,000 – $1,600 |
Income $1,600+ |
|
April 2013 |
|
| Working class |
31% |
36% |
27% |
24% |
38% |
39% |
42% |
32% |
24% |
33% |
|||
| Middle class |
49% |
46% |
58% |
51% |
39% |
29% |
36% |
54% |
64% |
53% |
|||
| Upper class |
2% |
2% |
1% |
1% |
3% |
2% |
* |
1% |
3% |
2% |
|||
| None of them |
13% |
11% |
10% |
16% |
17% |
25% |
17% |
10% |
6% |
10% |
|||
| Don’t know |
6% |
5% |
3% |
8% |
3% |
5% |
5% |
4% |
4% |
3% |
49% of respondents described themselves as “middle class” and 31% as “working class” – only 2% 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.
The results are not substantially different from those when this question was asked last year.
020413, 2 April 2013, Labor party interests, Middle class, Upper class, Working class
Q. Whose interests do you think the Labor Party mainly represent?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Working class |
Middle class |
|
| Working class |
30% |
43% |
28% |
25% |
27% |
34% |
| Middle class |
16% |
24% |
8% |
36% |
18% |
17% |
| Upper class |
13% |
4% |
17% |
10% |
17% |
10% |
| All of them |
8% |
19% |
3% |
12% |
5% |
10% |
| None of them |
22% |
3% |
35% |
7% |
19% |
22% |
| Don’t know |
11% |
7% |
10% |
9% |
13% |
7% |
30% believe that the Labor Party mainly represents working class people and 22% don’t think they represent any class. 43% of Labor voters think the Labor Party mainly represents the working class and 36% of Greens voters think they mainly represent the middle class. 35% of Liberal/National voters don’t think they represent any class.
27% of respondents who describe themselves as working class and 34% of those who say they are middle class think the Labor Party mainly represents the working class. 35% of those who say they are working class think the Labor Party mainly represents the middle or upper classes.
10 July 2012, 100712, actu, australian wages, calls for help, charity, Ged Kearney, Middle class, working poor
Charities are reporting a 50 per cent increase in calls for help and most are coming from underpaid workers, says Ged Kearney.
Australia’s economic success amidst global uncertainty is the envy of the international community. Yet despite Australia’s glowing report card, there is a growing class of people known as “the working poor”.
These are people who are most often employed in the service industry, working shifts and surviving on a day-to-day basis. They are paid the minimum wage which is actually less than half the average wage in Australia. ACTU President Ged Kearney tells 3Q this section of the population have slipped through the gap and are not part of the national debate.
12 March 2012, 120312, annual income, class, income, Middle class, middle income, Polling, polls, Social Class, society, wealth
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.
12 March 2012, 120312, class, higher incomes, incomes, lower incomes, Middle class, Polling, polls, Social Class, society, Upper class, Working class
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.