Australia
How
Australia compares to other countries:
- from How Australia Compares by Tiffen, Gittins 2004, who compared
Australia with 17 other "similar" countries including NZ, USA,
Canada, UK, Ireland, Japan & 11 countries in continental Europe.
- financial aspects:
- home ownership:
- 69% much the same as 25yrs ago - cw UK ~69% up from 49%;
Ireland 83%;
- poverty (defined as incomes below half the median income):
- 2nd highest poverty at 14% (only USA is higher)
- highest poverty amongst the elderly at 29%
- rich-poor gap:
- 4th widest gap with only USA, Italy & UK with wider gaps
- charity:
- 4th lowest level of foreign aid per capita at $US54/yr cw
average of $US112
- 2nd lowest proportion of foreign aid going to the poorest
countries
- lowest for income for disabled as % of income for the abled at
44% cw average of 62%
- 3rd lowest income for long term unemployed as proportion of
their prior income at 49% cw avg of 62
- economic growth:
- 3rd highest rate of growth during the 1990's for real GDP per
capita at 2.2%/yr (Norway & Ireland were only ones better)
- 3rd highest rate of improvement in productivity per worker
after Finland & Ireland, although actual productivity per
worker comes from a below average level over past 30yrs to just
average.
- average GDP per capita with only USA a lot "richer"
(35% more) than the rest
- highest number of hours worked per year for the average worker
due partly to only 10 public holidays per year (as with USA, but
Japan have 15).
- culture:
- 2nd highest proportion of urban to rural population at 91%, only
Belgium was higher
- highest proportion of population living in cities at 69%
- 3rd last in take up of mobile phones at 576 per 1000 people (cw
883 for Italy)
- 4th highest rate of imprisonment - 110 per 100,000 - double that
in the early 1980's, highest were UK, NZ & the highest was USA
at 700 per 100,000.
- environment:
- highest emissions of greenhouse gases per capita
- 2nd highest generation of municipal waste per capita
- 3rd highest petrol consumption per capita
- health:
- average total spending 8.9% of GDP cw USA 13.1%, UK 7.3%
- 2nd longest life expectancy - Japan 1st
- although lowest infant mortality in 1900, the other countries have
caught up and we are know just average - the same applies to
standard of living
- education:
- 4th highest reading, maths & scientific literacy amongst 15yr
olds (beaten by Japan, Finland & Canada)