Deaths of despair in Australia
'Deaths of despair' are rising in Australia, particularly among middle-aged men.
Articles from Grattan Blog
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Young Australians continue to turn away from private health insurance
About 65,000 fewer Australians had health insurance in December 2018 compared to December 2017.
read more Young Australians continue to turn away from private health insurance
The gender divide at university
In 1987, for the first time in Australia’s history, more women than men were enrolled in higher education. Many things have changed in Australian higher education since but, as the figure below shows, the gender make-up of our university classrooms is not one of them. In 1989 – the first year for which reliable data were available – 71 per cent of teaching students were women; in 2016, the figure was 73 per cent. In nursing, it was 89 per cent in 1989 and 87 per cent three decades later.
More compulsory super hurts Middle Australia — however you look at it
Our latest research shows that lifting compulsory super contributions to 12 per cent would leave workers in Middle Australia poorer over their entire lifetimes – and that remains true under any plausible assumptions.
read more More compulsory super hurts Middle Australia — however you look at it
Who is homeless in Australia?
Homelessness is a growing problem in Australia. To tackle the scourge, we first need to understand who is homeless. Here’s what we know.
A better way of knowing if we’re in a recession
Policy makers need timely information to decide whether economic stimulus might be required. A new indicator based on the unemployment rate can help.
Election 2019: the result wasn’t the only surprise
The 2019 federal election: four surprising charts on what we know so far.
read more Election 2019: the result wasn’t the only surprise
The Coalition’s tax plan will make the system less progressive. What does that mean?
We explain tax progressivity and its measurement.
read more The Coalition’s tax plan will make the system less progressive. What does that mean?
School funding – where the money went
From 2008 to 2017, private schools got nearly all the increase in effective school funding.
What the Coalition’s tax plan means for high-income earners and the tax system
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has been dodging questions on how much high-income earners will benefit from his tax plan and what it means for the progressivity of Australia’s tax system. Here are the answers.
read more What the Coalition’s tax plan means for high-income earners and the tax system