Australians are better educated, largely happy in their relationships and still finding meaning in their work — but a rapidly worsening cost-of-living crisis is pushing a growing number of households into genuine hardship, according to the latest findings from the nation's most comprehensive long-term social survey.
The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, released this week, draws on data collected through to 2024 and tracks approximately 17,000 people across 9,000 households — a project that has run continuously since 2001, making it the largest longitudinal study of its kind in the country.
The findings paint a nuanced portrait of a society that is advancing in some areas while being squeezed hard in others.
Cost of Living Is Hitting Households Where It Hurts
The survey's co-director, Professor Roger Wilkins, said the defining theme emerging from this year's data was the widening gap between what things cost and what people earn.
"What really comes out quite strongly from the data is the rise in the cost of living and people's incomes not really keeping pace," he said, pointing to increases in financial stress, housing stress and food insecurity as concrete evidence of the strain.
The food insecurity figures are particularly stark. Nearly one in six Australians — 18 per cent of those aged 15 and over — experienced food insecurity in 2024, up from 13.7 per cent in 2020. Single-parent families, First Nations people, those living with a disability or poor health, and smokers were identified as the groups most at risk.
Food insecurity, researchers noted, is one of the most direct indicators of disadvantage, reflecting in practical terms just how many people are struggling to afford adequate nutrition. If you're reassessing household budgets, it may also be worth reviewing how to make the most of nutritional planning on a tighter budget.
Australians Are More Educated Than Ever — But Feel Overqualified
On a more positive note, educational attainment across the country has risen dramatically over the past two decades. More than half of Australian women aged 25 to 44 now hold a university degree, and women have surpassed men in overall rates of university qualification — a trend Professor Wilkins described as "remarkable" and one he expects to continue.
However, that educational progress comes with an unexpected complication. More than half of all Australian workers now believe they are more educated than their job actually requires, and around a quarter feel they are overskilled — unable to fully use their abilities in their current role. Younger workers under 25 were the most likely to feel this way.
While that mismatch is associated with lower job satisfaction and a greater likelihood of leaving a role, Wilkins cautioned against reading it as purely negative, framing it instead as a reflection of how significantly the workforce has upskilled.
Relationships: Happy Overall, but Gender Gaps Persist
Despite the financial pressures many are facing, Australians in long-term partnerships rated their relationship quality at an average of 4.3 out of 5 — a consistently high score. The majority of partnered Australians reported being in love with their partner and satisfied with the relationship.
Yet a gender gap was evident. Men reported higher levels of satisfaction with their female partners than women did with their male partners. Couples who shared housework, childcare and financial contributions more equally tended to report stronger relationships overall.
Researchers also identified a U-shaped pattern in relationship quality over time — satisfaction dips gradually over roughly 24 years before climbing again, eventually surpassing even the intensity felt in the early stages of a partnership.
A Mixed Picture Heading Forward
Taken together, the HILDA data presents an Australia that is progressing on measures of education and relationship stability, while facing real and growing vulnerabilities around financial security and basic needs. The rise in food insecurity in particular signals that for a significant portion of the population, the pressures of the past few years have moved well beyond inconvenience into genuine hardship.
The survey will continue tracking these trends annually, offering what remains one of the clearest long-run windows into how Australians are actually living.
