Social Class, social class in australia
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.
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.
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%.
parties, political parties, 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%.
020413, 2 April 2013, Social 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 |
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.
class, Essential Report, peter lewis, Polling, polls, rich, Social Class, society, trending, trends, wealthy
Australians agree with Wayne Swan – we do have a class-based society with families on $160,000 a year considered “rich”
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, annual income, Australian society, class, finances, income, Polling, polls, Social Class, society, wealthy, 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.