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AustraliaCommunity profile

Western Australia

Individual income quartiles

In Western Australia, the 'highest' income quartile was the largest group in 2021, comprising 28% of people aged 15 and over.

Western Australia's income statistics are an indicator of socio-economic status. With other data sources, such as Household Income, Qualifications and Occupation, they help tell the story of the area's economic opportunities and socio-economic status. Individual income levels are not comparable over time because of the influences of economic change such as wage level fluctuations and inflation. The income quartile method is the most objective method of comparing change in the income profile of a community over time.

A detailed explanation of how Individual Income quartiles are calculated and interpreted is available in specific data notes.

Q:

Derived from the Census question:

'What is the total of all wages/salaries, government benefits, pensions, allowances and other income the person usually receives?'

Individual income quartiles
Western Australia - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)20212016Change
Quartile groupNumber%Regional SA %Number%Regional SA %2016 to 2021
Lowest group500,45425.226.0452,57225.123.9+47,882
Medium lowest460,12123.129.2396,95122.029.4+63,170
Medium highest469,59923.624.7416,66223.125.7+52,937
Highest group558,74328.120.0540,18429.920.9+18,560
Total persons aged 15+1,988,919100.0100.01,806,369100.0100.0+182,549
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information
Individual income - Quartile group dollar ranges
Calculated from income data for Australia - Total persons aged 15+Weekly income by Census year
Individual quartile ranges20212016201120062001
Lowest group$0 to $383$0 to $323$0 to $271$0 to $211$0 to $182
Medium lowest$384 to $805$324 to $661$272 to $576$212 to $466$183 to $375
Medium highest$806 to $1,484$662 to $1,229$577 to $1,096$467 to $877$376 to $685
Highest group$1,485 and over$1,230 and over$1,097 and over$878 and over$686 and over

Dominant groups

Income quartiles allow us to compare relative income-earning capabilities across time. Analysis of the distribution of the population by income quartile in Western Australia compared to Regional SA shows that there was greater proportion of persons in the highest income quartile and a lesser proportion in the lowest income quartile.

Emerging groups

The most significant change in Western Australia in persons between 2016 and 2021 was in the medium lowest quartile which showed an increase of 63,170 persons.

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