Poverty in Australia Essay - 1465 Words

Poverty in Australia Before discussing the extent of poverty in Australia, it is first crucial to mention the difference between absolute poverty and relative poverty. Absolute Poverty is a situation where deprivation is extreme because people do not have access to the basic necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter. In contrast Relative Poverty is a situation in which the incidence of poverty is measured relative to things such as average weekly earnings or income per head. Therefore poverty, as talked about in Australia is the state where income is insufficient to meet the minimum needs of the household or individual. The Poverty Line is the level of income below which the income of the household or individual is†¦show more content†¦Whilst these percentages had changed significantly it was also found that the types of people who were living under the poverty line were still the same. In this report it was found that 75 percent of those living below the poverty line were not in the workforce, and that the aged made up 41 per cent of all Australians that were living in poverty. (Williams, Lawrey 2000) Therefore it is clear that although the poverty line had risen significantly from 1975 to 1987, there has not been an improvement in the percentage of Australians living under the poverty line, but instead this percentage has increased. Between 1975 and 1996, per person, GDP grew by almost 90%, taxes more than doubled, government transfers went up more than 160%, and average household income net of taxes grew by almost 50%. Income grew significantly. The proportion of national income directed via government grew far more significantly. Although there has been some problems with the economy during this period such as unemployment which has grown from 4 per cent to 8.5 percent, also the average duration of unemployment grew from 6 weeks to 52 weeks. Unemployment is seen as one of the possible reasons for the increase in poverty rates, despite the increase in welfare payments. Whilst it is likely that this startling increase in unemployment levels is partly responsible for the increase in poverty, it stillShow MoreRelatedEssay about Class and Poverty in Australia1838 Words   |  8 PagesClass is a key idea related to inequality, prejudice and discrimination in Australian society. It has been considered out of fashion, because some Australian people think that there is no class difference between people in Australia, everyone enjoys equality in society. In fact, the recent de-regulation of the workplace, and the widening gap in access to hospitals, schools and employment opportunities between the rich and poor, have made class more visible in Australian than ever before. Class isRead MorePoverty Is The Problem Of Poverty1159 Words   |  5 PagesPoverty is the issue that many countries are facing and try to figure out a me thod for managing poverty in order to ensure the wellbeing of their citizens, Developed countries like Australia is also confronting a destitution issue in their citizen. Poverty can be characterized from various perspectives, which depend on each country’s standard. Here, poverty can be defined as an economic condition of lacking both money and basic necessities needed to successful in life, particularly for those whoRead More1. Media Report. There Is A Lot Of Poverty Happening Around1363 Words   |  6 Pagesreport There is a lot of poverty happening around the world such as a country called timor leaste, they help out in Thirty Five counties for example South Sudan, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Australia, Central African Republic. Poverty is one of the main problems in underdeveloped countries. Every year, a large number of people from these countries die mainly due to poverty because of the lack of supplies, â€Å"An estimated 41.5 percent of the population is living under the national poverty line in 2005 (UNDP, 2006Read MoreSocial And Economical Concepts Of Sole Parent Families Essay1519 Words   |  7 PagesDivision: Sole Parent Families are living on the edge of poverty, with predictions of a 65% increase of sole parent families by 2036, Why are so many Australian sole parent families living so close to or below the calculated poverty line? This essay will firstly provide current and reliable statistics with a brief overview of the identified key social and economical concepts of sole parent families based on ‘Poverty and Exclusion in Modern Australia and (Sociology Regionalism), Secondly I will engageRead MoreThe Health Of Poor People1292 Words   |  6 Pagesaffect everyone (WHO 2014). Psychosocial: Neo material: Measurements of poverty: Poverty is defined as the pronounced deprivation of well-being, or the inability to satisfy one s basic needs.( Australian Council of Social Service 2012) http://www.acoss.org.au/uploads/ACOSS%20Poverty%20Report%202012_Final.pdf Poverty can be measured by poverty line. Australian Council of Social Services defines poverty line as a relative concept used to describe the people in a society that cannot affordRead MoreWhy Australia Has An Aid Program1170 Words   |  5 PagesWHY AUSTRALIA HAS AN AID PROGRAM Australia’s aid program was developed in 1974 under the Whitlam Government and is known as AusAid. AusAid was formed in order to provide countries that are worse off than Australia aid, to help them out and in turn, help out Australia. Benefits to Australia Australia’s aid program has many benefits to the Australian people and our economy. The aid program is used to promote Australia’s national interests through contributing to economic growth and poverty reductionRead MoreDevelopment Challenges Of The Vietnam War1193 Words   |  5 Pageshas improved greatly with strong economic growth and reducing poverty, however its in Australias national interest to give aid to Vietnam as it one of Australias most important and valued regional partners. AusAID says: â€Å" Although Vietnam has reached lower Middle Income Country status, more than 33 million people still live on less than $2 per day. Most live in rural and remote communities with few services. Helping Vietnam overcome poverty and gain sustainable development is in Australia’s nationalRead MoreAustralian Aboriginal Culture : Australia1323 Words   |  6 PagesAustralian Aboriginals Culture The Aboriginals are the indigenous people from Australia, and they are the oldest living culture in the history of the world (Australian Government 2008). Their ability to adapt and change over time are one of the reasons why their culture has survived for so long (Australian Government 2008). The indigenous communities in Australia kept their culture alive for so long by passing down their knowledge of arts, rituals, and performances from one generation to anotherRead MoreInequality in Australia Essay1265 Words   |  6 Pagescategorised as being in relative poverty. Relative poverty as defined by L. Kirkwood, I. Searle, T. Cronk, D. Cave and J. Swiericzuk as the situation of people whose income and lifestyle has fallen below, by more than a certain degree, the average income and lifestyle enjoyed by the rest of society. The upper and lower quintile is represented by 20 percent, however over the last two decades Australians are noticing a change in the gap between inequalities. In Australia a study by the Australian BureauRead MoreGlobalization Has Changed The Economic Condition Of A Country Or The Lives Of People995 Words   |  4 Pagesagricultural field, but now they can earn much more in the factories. Secondly, there is the free trade agreement of China with Australia. Free trade is the unrestricted purchase and sale of goods and services between countries beyond tariffs, duties and quotas. Each country exchanges their specialized goods to each other. For example, China specializes in electronics and Australia specializes in iron ore, they would exchange those goods through free trade agreements between each other. Chinese trade became