Incidence of low and high pay — Low pay incidence in Australia
Australia: Incidence of low and high pay — Low pay incidence was 17.68 Percentage of full-time employment in 2025. ▲ Rising
Incidence of low and high pay — Low pay incidence in Australia, 1975–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of full-time employment.
Analysis
The most recent figure for incidence of low and high pay — low pay incidence in Australia is 17.68 Percentage of full-time employment, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 7.1% on the previous year and up 14.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, incidence of low and high pay — low pay incidence in Australia peaked at 19.03 Percentage of full-time employment in 2024 and was at its lowest, 11.25 Percentage of full-time employment, in 1975.
That places Australia 11th out of 37 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 12.18 Percentage of full-time employment | 11.25 Percentage of full-time employment | 13.59 Percentage of full-time employment | 5 |
| 1980s | 14.13 Percentage of full-time employment | 13.47 Percentage of full-time employment | 14.58 Percentage of full-time employment | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.59 Percentage of full-time employment | 12.18 Percentage of full-time employment | 14.74 Percentage of full-time employment | 9 |
| 2000s | 15.64 Percentage of full-time employment | 14.52 Percentage of full-time employment | 17.51 Percentage of full-time employment | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.91 Percentage of full-time employment | 14.75 Percentage of full-time employment | 17.59 Percentage of full-time employment | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.89 Percentage of full-time employment | 16.67 Percentage of full-time employment | 19.03 Percentage of full-time employment | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 8 India 20.85 Percentage of full-time employment compare
- 9 Malta 19.91 Percentage of full-time employment compare
- 10 Canada 17.96 Percentage of full-time employment compare
- 12 Cyprus 17.04 Percentage of full-time employment compare
- 13 Mexico 16.55 Percentage of full-time employment compare
- 14 Czechia 16.46 Percentage of full-time employment compare
More reference data data for Australia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.21 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 28.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 38.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 38.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 118.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 170.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 13.9 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is incidence of low and high pay — low pay incidence in Australia?
- Incidence of low and high pay — low pay incidence in Australia was 17.68 Percentage of full-time employment in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest incidence of low and high pay — low pay incidence recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 19.03 Percentage of full-time employment in 2024.
- What is the lowest incidence of low and high pay — low pay incidence recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.25 Percentage of full-time employment in 1975.
- How does Australia rank for incidence of low and high pay — low pay incidence?
- Australia ranks 11th out of 37 countries with data for 2025.
- Is incidence of low and high pay — low pay incidence rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Incidence of low and high pay — Low pay incidence. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
This dataset contains series on the incidence of low-paid workers defined as the share of full-time workers earning less than two-thirds of gross median earnings of all full-time workers; the incidence of high-paid workers defined as the share of full-time workers earning more than one-and-half time gross median earnings of all full-time workers.