Kathmandu, August 25
A new report shows people earning an average income in Australia’s major cities must spend more than half of it on rent.
According to a Monday report by housing advocacy group Everybody’s Home, renting a unit in any Australian capital city costs more than 50% of the national average income.
Someone earning AU$70,000 a year must spend 56% of their income on the average rent. For those earning AU$40,000, housing costs reach 89% of total income, while even those earning AU$100,000 must set aside 41% for rent.
Across all eight capital cities, an average-income worker must spend at least 51% of their earnings on the average unit rent, the report concludes.
Sydney is worse still; someone earning AU$70,000 a year must spend 69% of their income on weekly rent, the highest ratio of any major city.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the average annual salary as of August 2025 was AU$74,100.
Housing advocate Maiy Azize said the government’s withdrawal from building public and community housing has caused a severe housing crisis, adding that Australia will need around 1 million such homes over the next 15 years.
— with inputs from Xinhua
