Some experts fret that the US birthrate is on the decline. That might not be so surprising, when the cost of having children in the US has grown exponentially since the 1960s.
Come election time, votes won’t turn on an integrity commission. They will turn on such issues as cost of living, discontent with flat wages, and health.
Slightly more optimistic economic figures gives Scott Morrison and the Turnbull government a boost heading into 2018, as the charts explain.
Lukas Coch/AAP and The Conversation
Seven charts on the highlights from the government’s mid year update of the budget.
While people in WA might be spending less, there remains segments of the population that are vulnerable to intense cost of living pressures.
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Households in NSW spend the most and WA households the least in Australia, but there are segments of WA who are feeling the bite more acutely in cost of living.
Information about discounts will be simpler, but you’ll still have to do the legwork to shop around.
AAP Image/Julian Smith
The government’s deal with electricity retailers to provide simple information to customers about their discounts and bills is a welcome step, but doesn’t cut to the heart of the power price issue.
Costs of transportation and accessibility are just two factors that increase cost of living for persons with disabilities.
Corepics VOF/shutterstock.com
Depending on where you live, having a disability can cost thousands of additional dollars per year. Government programs often don’t account for that.
Australia’s population is highly concentrated in a few cities, so once centres like Newcastle have absorbed the spill-over from high-cost capitals, where will the talent go?
City of Newcastle/AAP
Australia has few places to capture the spill-over of talented workers priced out of the big cities. Some may leave the country altogether – and where talent goes, capital flows.
Labor’s Chris Bowen says Australian workers are doing it tough.
AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy
Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said Australian wages growth is at record lows. Is that true?
The report found that Sydney households face the highest transport costs of any city in Australia both in dollar terms and as a percentage of household income.
AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts
The Australian Automobile Association said that a new report showed that “the average Australian family is spending up to $22,000 every year to get around.” Is that accurate?
Even for middle-class families, the growing costs of youth sports can be a huge burden.
'Baseball' via www.shutterstock.com
An opinion poll taken in the wake of George Osborne’s Autumn statement reveals that just 27% of people think the British economy is in good shape. This was a decline compared to a survey taken just three…
The Labour Party has started bringing forward policies for 2015, and not a moment too soon. The time for policy reviews, which really were more like a synopsis of contemporary social theory than reviews…
Food prices are likely to rise in line with inflation, but taxes and natural disasters could also have an impact.
Melanie Foster/AAP
Australia’s cost of living is among the highest in the world, despite our low inflation rate. In this series we explore what consumers can expect from the big ticket items - petrol, power and groceries…
Motorists can expect higher petrol prices in 2014…and beyond.
David Crosling/AAP
Australia’s cost of living is among the highest in the world, despite our low inflation rate. In this series we explore what consumers can expect from the big ticket items - petrol, power and groceries…
Despite a topsy turvy global economy, inflation has remained stable in Australia.
zanoskim/Flickr
Australia’s cost of living is among the highest in the world, despite our low inflation rate. In this series we explore what consumers can expect from the big ticket items - petrol, power and groceries…
How much is that cluttered spare room really costing you?
Flickr/raider3_anime
How much would you give up to have a home that didn’t cost you a cent in energy bills? Would you sacrifice that spare bedroom that’s full of junk and hardly gets used? Or the additional bathroom? What…