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This project produced new estimates of poverty in Australia using the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data for 2013 and 2014 and examined how poverty has changed since 2003 and 2004. 

Estimates were produced using alternative poverty lines, different samples and both before and after taking account of housing costs. Besides, breakdowns were provided for social groups defined according to age, family type, country of birth, state of residence and principal source of income, focusing on those reliant on different social security benefits. Attention also focused on the poverty status of self-employed households and the relationship between poverty and housing tenure.  

This is the latest in the series of Poverty Reports prepared by the Social Policy Research Centre for ACOSS. It fulfils a long-term personal ambition to have regular, authoritative reporting on how Australia is doing in terms of poverty and is complemented by a companion series focusing on the broader issue of economic inequality. Both topics are important to large numbers of Australians and these reports allow us to take stock of the situation, understand who is affected, monitor progress, raise awareness, develop appropriate responses and pressure governments to act.