Off the Charts // Law, Society & Culture
A picture tells a thousand words and Off the Charts is where you’ll find the charts and graphs that tell the most interesting stories. Across all the areas the Australia Institute covers, we give you the pictures that help you understand what is really going on in the world.
March 2025
Housing affordability crisis – Saving for a deposit forever
The dream of saving for a deposit on a house is now so far beyond most poeple that even if you have a high paying job, you still can never save enough.
Big private health insurers make huge profits… but they want you to pay more
Despite huge profit margins, the big three private health insurers keep higher and higher premiums.
.February 2025
Housing affordability is on a very dangerous path
If housing affordability keeps going the way it has over the past 20 years, an average house in Sydney will be worth 24 years of an average salary.
.While Uni Vice-Chancellors rake in millions, young researchers struggle to survive
Australia’s university Vice-Chancellors are among the highest paid in the world, while Australia’s PhD students are some of the lowest paid. That is not a sign of a healthy education system.
.Uni Vice-Chancellors keep getting richer while those who teach and research are left behind
The pay of university Vice-Chancellors has soared well beyond that of the teaching staff for no improvement in management.
.January 2025
The HAFF is a small start to tackle housing affordability, but investors still get all the breaks
Increasing the number of houses is welcome, but unless the government tackles the expensive tax breaks for investors, housing will remain unaffordable for many.
.The high pay for Vice-Chancellors does not deliver better outcomes for students
Australia’s university vice-chancellors are among the highest paid in the world, and yet all that money does not deliver better outcomes for students.
.Compared to the cost of protesting, buying time with a minister is very cheap
In Australia today, corporate lobbyists can cheaply access politicians in private while peaceful public protestors face draconian penalties.
December 2024
An Australian whistleblower rewards scheme could reduce white-collar crime while raising billions in revenue
It is not often we can look to America for good public policy – but they have one good idea about helping encourage corporate whistleblowers while also raising revenue.
November 2024
The time taken to pay off HECS is worsening the inequality between the states
The increased cost of university degrees has amplified the difference in time it takes to pay off a degree in each state – and can make it more attractive to work elsewhere.
Research shows people living in rural areas have a much lower life expectancy
The closer you live to the city and the richer your post code, the more likely you are to have a longer life.
.October 2024
The Liberal’s plan to boost housing is just a $5bn gift to property developers
The Liberal Party’s announcement this week to spend $5bn on infrastructure over 5 years to “boost home building across Australia” will barely make a difference – except to the profits of property developers.
The Carnival is Over: music festivals struggle as football roars
While the “not-for-profit” AFL has $5m to pay Katy Perry to play five songs at last weekend’s Grand Final, Australian music festivals are struggling.
July 2024
Superannuation tax concessions are making inequality worse
Superannuation tax concessions were designed to encourage saving, but instead they are being used by the wealthiest to avoid paying tax
June 2024
The tax stats show the gender pay remains widespread across almost all occupations
The 2021-22 taxations statistics show that men have a higher average salary in 96% of all occupations
Australian public universities are now spending millions on consultants
Figures from Queensland and Victoria reveal that public universities spend over $200m on consultants, while students HECS/HELP debt soar.
April 2024
Federal funding for private schools
In 2024, the Commonwealth Government will spend an estimated $29.1 billion on schools in Australia. More than half of this – $17.8 billion – will go to private schools.
People are starting with much larger HECS/HELP debts than in the past – and it is only going to get worse
Australians in their 20s have HECS/HELP debts more than $10,000 greater in real terms than did people 20 years ago
HECS/HELP indexation is sending those earning less than $65,000 backwards
Ending the indexation of HECS/HELP debts would deliver a truly interest free-loan for students
.February 2024
For more affordable housing we need more public housing.
Public housing was once much more common – we need more public housing rather than rely on private landlords to keep prices down
December 2023
The Wellbeing Framework needs a better measure of living standards
The Wellbeing Framework suggests Australia’s prosperity is linked with company profits, but it wrongly suggests this also measures people’s living standards.
..The Wellbeing Framework’s measure of innovation misses the mark
The Wellbeing Framework aims to measure what matters, but its measure of innovation has little to do with research or development
‘No one left behind’: Why doesn’t the Wellbeing Framework measure poverty?
According to Treasurer Jim Chalmers, the new Wellbeing Framework “helps us put … fairness and opportunity at the very core of our thinking”, but (astoundingly) lacks any substantive measure of poverty.
..November 2023
First-home buyers grants – 20 years of failed attempts to improve housing affordability
The Queensland government’s decision to double the first home owner grant is just the latest in 20 years of governments stoking demand for housing that makes affordability worse.
Australia is not being flooded by migrants
Don’t be scared by claims Australia is being inundated by migrants
September 2023
The Voice offers new way forward to end Australia’s appallingly high incarceration rates
Australia has higher incarceration rates for Indigenous men than is the case in the USA for either Black Americans or Native Americans.
The government’s measure of “well-being” just plummeted
The three months to June saw one the biggest ever falls in the government’s measure of well-being.
August 2023
The Intergenerational Report shows a massive shift towards supporting wealthier individuals’ retirements
Jim Chalmers suggests the superannuation system is the intergenerational “genius” but it really means providing more support for wealthier people who do not need it.
The Intergenerational Report shows Australia’s population is ageing, but we need not panic
Australia’s population is set to age, but that does not mean we need to go without – we just need to be honest about paying for it.
May 2023
HECS/HELP debt for low income earners is set to increase due to indexation
The indexation of HECS/HELP debt this year will leave people earning less than $62,000 with a bigger debt even after their repayments.
Curated by
Off the Charts is curated by Greg Jericho, Chief Economist at the Australia Institute and the Centre for Future Work.
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