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  • Aug, 2014

    ,

    Social Class

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

      

    Total

     

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Vote other

     

    Income under $600pw

    Income $600 – $1,000pw

    Income $1,000 – $1,600pw

    Income $1,600+

    Yes

    79%

    82%

    78%

    81%

    78%

    74%

    80%

    77%

    84%

    No

    7%

    5%

    9%

    8%

    8%

    8%

    6%

    9%

    5%

    Don’t know

    14%

    12%

    13%

    11%

    15%

    18%

    14%

    14%

    11%

    79% agreed that social class still exists in Australia – only 7% disagreed. There was little variation across voter and demographic groups.

  • Aug, 2014

    , ,

    Social Class Identification

    Q. Do you consider yourself –

      

    Total

     

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/
    Nat

    Vote Greens

    Vote other

     

    Income under $600
    pw

    Income $600 – $1,000
    pw

    Income $1,000 – $1,600
    pw

    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.

  • Aug, 2014

    ,

    Parties and Social Class

    Q. Whose interests do you think the Labor Party mainly represent? 

      

    Total

     

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Vote other

     

    Working class

    Middle class

     

    April 2013

    Working class

    41%

    53%

    39%

    27%

    35%

    44%

    45%

    30%

    Middle class

    14%

    18%

    10%

    27%

    16%

    10%

    18%

    16%

    Upper class

    8%

    3%

    10%

    14%

    13%

    11%

    6%

    13%

    All of them

    8%

    14%

    3%

    11%

    6%

    6%

    8%

    8%

    None of them

    16%

    3%

    30%

    6%

    19%

    17%

    15%

    22%

    Don’t know

    13%

    10%

    8%

    15%

    11%

    12%

    8%

    11%


    41% believe that the Labor Party mainly represents working class people and 16% don’t think they represent any class. 53% of Labor voters think the Labor Party mainly represents the working class and 27% of Greens voters think they mainly represent the middle class. 30% of Liberal/National voters don’t think they represent any class.

    44% of respondents who describe themselves as working class and 45% of those who say they are middle class think the Labor Party mainly represents the working class.

    Since this question was asked in April 2013, the proportion thinking that Labor represents the working class has increased from 30% to 41%.

  • Aug, 2014

    , ,

    Parties and Social Class

    Q. Whose interests do you think the Liberal Party mainly represent? 

      

    Total

     

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Vote other

     

    Working class

    Middle class

     

    April 2013

    Working class

    4%

    2%

    7%

    3%

    7%

    3%

    5%

    Middle class

    17%

    7%

    31%

    12%

    11%

    13%

    22%

    20%

    Upper class

    47%

    74%

    20%

    65%

    55%

    54%

    49%

    40%

    All of them

    14%

    4%

    32%

    2%

    8%

    11%

    15%

    17%

    None of them

    8%

    6%

    6%

    6%

    10%

    7%

    5%

    8%

    Don’t know

    11%

    7%

    4%

    14%

    13%

    8%

    7%

    9%


    47% believe that the Liberal Party mainly represents upper class people and 17% think they represent the middle class. 74% of Labor voters and 65% of Greens voters think the Liberal Party mainly represent the upper class. 31% of Liberal/National voters think they represent the middle class and 32% think they represent all classes.

    54% of respondents who describe themselves as working class and 49% of those who say they are middle class think the Liberal Party mainly represents the upper class.

    Since this question was asked in April 2013, the proportion thinking that the Liberals represent the upper class has increased from 40% to 47%.

  • Apr, 2013

    , ,

    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

    33%

    40%

    25%

    34%

    38%

    39%

    38%

    26%

    Middle class

    53%

    46%

    63%

    47%

    33%

    42%

    52%

    66%

    Upper class

    2%

    1%

    2%

    3%

    1%

    2%

    3%

    None of them

    10%

    10%

    7%

    14%

    21%

    15%

    6%

    4%

    Don’t know

    3%

    3%

    2%

    3%

    8%

    3%

    2%

    1%

    53% of respondents described themselves as “middle class” and 33% 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.

  • Mar, 2012

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    TRENDS: What is “rich”?

    Australians agree with Wayne Swan – we do have a class-based society with families on $160,000 a year considered “rich”

  • 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.

    Comments »

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