Every year, one of Australia’s biggest longitudinal surveys provides a range of insights on how the nation is changing.

The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, released today, provides unique insights into the lives of Australians, and collects rich data on income, employment, health and wellbeing.

HILDA has been following the same people every year since 2001, with about 17,000 respondents in the latest survey. This makes it possible to examine how the lives of Australians have changed over time.

Funded by the Australian government and managed by the Melbourne Institute, the survey is one of Australia’s most valuable social research tools.

So, what are the highlights from the 2026 report?

Housing stress is on the rise

Housing stress occurs when a low-income household spends more than 30% of its after-tax income on rent or mortgage payments. This can leave little money for food, transport and other essentials. We define low income as being in the bottom 40% of Australia’s household income distribution, after adjusting for household size. This adjustment recognises that a family needs more income than a person living........

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