Pay compression ratio in public sector in Australia

Australia: Pay compression ratio in public sector was 4.6% in 2015. ▼ Falling

Latest (2015)
4.6%
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
26th
of 60 countries
All-time high
6.6%
in 2002
All-time low
4.6%
in 2015
Years of data
14
2002–2015

Pay compression ratio in public sector in Australia, 2002–2015

02462002200820152002: 6.6 ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners2003: 5.5 ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners2004: 5.5 ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners2005: 6.2 ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners2006: 5.2 ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners2007: 5.4 ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners2008: 5.1 ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners2009: 5.6 ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners2010: 5.1 ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners2011: 5.1 ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners2012: 5 ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners2013: 4.9 ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners2014: 4.6 ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners2015: 4.6 ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners

Source: World Bank. Measured in ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners.

Analysis

In 2015, pay compression ratio in public sector in Australia stood at 4.6%. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.

That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and down 27.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, pay compression ratio in public sector in Australia peaked at 6.6% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 4.6%, in 2015.

That places Australia 26th out of 60 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.

Pay compression ratio in public sector in Australia, year by year

Annual values for Pay compression ratio in public sector (ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners) in Australia, 2002 to 2015.
Year ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners Change
2002 6.6%
2003 5.5% -17.0%
2004 5.5% +1.1%
2005 6.2% +12.8%
2006 5.2% -16.1%
2007 5.4% +3.0%
2008 5.1% -5.5%
2009 5.6% +10.2%
2010 5.1% -10.2%
2011 5.1% +0.9%
2012 5.0% -2.2%
2013 4.9% -2.4%
2014 4.6% -5.8%
2015 4.6% -0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 5.7% 5.1% 6.6% 8
2010s 4.9% 4.6% 5.1% 6

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 23 Bulgaria 5.2% compare
  2. 24 Russia 5.2% compare
  3. 25 Portugal 4.9% compare
  4. 27 Latvia 4.5% compare
  5. 28 Costa Rica 4.5% compare
  6. 29 Estonia 4.4% compare

See the full ranking of 60 places →

More reference data data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is pay compression ratio in public sector in Australia?
Pay compression ratio in public sector in Australia was 4.6% in 2015, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest pay compression ratio in public sector recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 6.6% in 2002.
What is the lowest pay compression ratio in public sector recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 4.6% in 2015.
How does Australia rank for pay compression ratio in public sector?
Australia ranks 26th out of 60 countries with data for 2015.
Is pay compression ratio in public sector rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is down 27.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Pay compression ratio in public sector (ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

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Pay compression ratio in public sector in Australia. Statizoid. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/pay-compression-ratio-in-public-sector-ratio-of-90th-10th-percentile-earners/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Pay compression ratio in public sector (ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners)
Unit
ratio of 90th/10th percentile earners
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
60 places, 741 data points, 2000–2021
Last refreshed