Australian household debt has steadily risen over the past three decades as more of us aim to own homes and continue to rely on products such as car loans and credit cards. As a result, Australia is reported to have some of the highest personal debt levels in the world.
The average Australian household had a debt of $261,492 as of December 2022, according to the most recent data form the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This is equivalent to a national total of $2.66 trillion in household debt, based on the number of households the ABS included in the data.
Mortgage debt typically makes up the biggest portion of average household debt in Australia. But personal loans, car loans, credit cards and student loans (e.g. HECS-HELP balances) also contribute to personal debt levels in Australia.
As the amount of debt each Australian has varies depending on the loans or products taken out in their name, these details can help put it in perspective:
Source: ABS Housing Census Data, Finder Consumer Sentiment Tracker
Finder research has also found the average Australian has a total of $20,238 in personal debt (excluding mortgages and student debt) in 2023.
Australia has the third-highest level of household debt for countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), worth 211% of net disposable income per household.
Only Norway (247%) and Switzerland (223%) have higher levels of household debt, while the Netherlands is an equal third-place with Australia.
| Response | |
|---|---|
| Put into a savings account | 41.63% |
| Pay off home loan | 25.3% |
| Put into a term deposit account | 24.7% |
| Pay off debt (card, buy now pay later, personal loan) | 17.73% |
| Spend it on a holiday | 16.93% |
| Put into ETF/invest in the share market | 16.63% |
| Home repairs/renovations | 12.85% |
| Invest in property | 10.16% |
| Other | 4.38% |
While Australia's $2.66 trillion of personal debt is among the highest of OECD countries, it is important to consider the different types of debt that contribute to this figure.
On a very basic level, these debts can be viewed as either “good” or “bad”.
It's also important to keep in mind that any debt can become a bad debt if people are unable to repay it.
For example, home loans make up the majority of Australia's household debt, which is typically considered "good debt". But Finder research found 40% of Australians struggled to meet repayments in 2023. This can indicate mortgage stress, and a risk of further issues.
So, as well as considering the types of personal debts Australians carry, it’s important to look at factors such as our income and interest rates.
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