Government & Public Finance•Series ID: AC_TCB$•1959–2026
Social Assistance Benefits to Households - Historical Data
Includes age pensions, family tax benefits, unemployment support, disability support, and emergency fiscal transfers.
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Current Statistics & Historical Records
Latest Reading (2026 Q2)
$44,916m
Prev (2026 Q1): $43,988m+928
Highest Recorded (2020 Q2)
$48,442m
COVID-19 pandemic shock & 0.10% cash rate floor
Lowest Recorded (1959 Q3)
$152m
Recorded in 1959 Q3
Long-Run Mean (1959–2026)
$53,087m
68 annual observations · Quarterly
Social Assistance Benefits to Households - Historical Series (1959–2026)
A$ million / qtrDrag to pan, scroll to zoom, or toggle between full annual history (1959–2026) and recent quarterly releases.
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Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (AC_TCB$) Latest: 44916 A$ million / qtr (2026 Q2)
Social Assistance Benefits to Households by Decade (1959–2026)
Decade averages, peaks, and troughs across Australian economic cycles
1950s1959–1959
$309m
High (1959):$309
Low (1959):$309
1960s1960–1969
$926m
High (1969):$1,246
Low (1960):$642
1970s1970–1979
$4,259m
High (1979):$8,282
Low (1970):$1,357
1980s1980–1989
$16,657m
High (1989):$23,834
Low (1980):$9,273
1990s1990–1999
$39,756m
High (1999):$48,732
Low (1990):$26,827
2000s2000–2009
$75,355m
High (2009):$107,881
Low (2000):$54,880
2010s2010–2019
$119.7b
High (2019):$127,661
Low (2010):$100,096
2020s2020–2026
$149.0b
High (2020):$171,478
Low (2026):$88,904
Social Assistance Benefits to Households - Historical Table (1959–2026)
Unit: A$ million / qtr · Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (AC_TCB$)
| Year | Welfare & Social Benefits (A$ million / qtr) | Year Range (Low – High) | Historical Context / Year Snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $88,904 | $43,988 – $44,916 | The Australian Economy in 2026 → |
| 2025 | $171,121 | $42,271 – $43,758 | Disinflation & monetary policy recalibration |
| 2024 | $160,477 | $39,530 – $40,811 | The Australian Economy in 2024 → |
| 2023 | $149,129 | $35,807 – $39,008 | The Australian Economy in 2023 → |
| 2022 | $147,021 | $35,454 – $37,289 | Post-pandemic inflation surge & rapid RBA tightening cycle |
| 2021 | $154,651 | $34,113 – $43,261 | The Australian Economy in 2021 → |
| 2020 | $171,478 | $33,947 – $48,442 | COVID-19 pandemic shock & 0.10% cash rate floor |
| 2019 | $127,661 | $31,856 – $31,989 | The Australian Economy in 2019 → |
| 2018 | $125,164 | $30,998 – $31,639 | The Australian Economy in 2018 → |
| 2017 | $124,807 | $30,938 – $31,505 | The Australian Economy in 2017 → |
| 2016 | $127,197 | $31,419 – $31,953 | The Australian Economy in 2016 → |
| 2015 | $126,544 | $31,364 – $32,178 | The Australian Economy in 2015 → |
| 2014 | $125,179 | $30,822 – $31,516 | The Australian Economy in 2014 → |
| 2013 | $118,529 | $29,115 – $30,438 | The Australian Economy in 2013 → |
| 2012 | $113,386 | $27,028 – $29,272 | The Australian Economy in 2012 → |
| 2011 | $108,757 | $26,495 – $27,644 | China mining investment & Terms of Trade supercycle peak |
| 2010 | $100,096 | $24,427 – $26,233 | The Australian Economy in 2010 → |
| 2009 | $107,881 | $24,452 – $33,328 | The Australian Economy in 2009 → |
| 2008 | $95,566 | $21,397 – $30,309 | Global Financial Crisis (GFC) & emergency rate cuts |
| 2007 | $83,176 | $20,272 – $21,632 | The Australian Economy in 2007 → |
| 2006 | $76,115 | $18,760 – $19,498 | The Australian Economy in 2006 → |
| 2005 | $75,343 | $18,341 – $19,400 | The Australian Economy in 2005 → |
| 2004 | $73,732 | $17,534 – $20,053 | The Australian Economy in 2004 → |
| 2003 | $64,813 | $15,635 – $16,978 | The Australian Economy in 2003 → |
| 2002 | $61,783 | $15,246 – $15,852 | The Australian Economy in 2002 → |
| 2001 | $60,260 | $14,644 – $15,730 | The Australian Economy in 2001 → |
| 2000 | $54,880 | $12,617 – $14,347 | Introduction of the 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) |
| 1999 | $48,732 | $11,405 – $12,907 | The Australian Economy in 1999 → |
| 1998 | $45,957 | $10,806 – $12,680 | The Australian Economy in 1998 → |
| 1997 | $46,012 | $11,314 – $11,734 | The Australian Economy in 1997 → |
| 1996 | $44,113 | $10,800 – $11,255 | The Australian Economy in 1996 → |
| 1995 | $41,133 | $9,998 – $10,616 | The Australian Economy in 1995 → |
| 1994 | $39,351 | $9,726 – $10,145 | The Australian Economy in 1994 → |
| 1993 | $38,955 | $9,615 – $9,803 | RBA formalises 2–3% inflation targeting |
| 1992 | $35,191 | $8,582 – $9,369 | The Australian Economy in 1992 → |
| 1991 | $31,290 | $7,384 – $8,152 | Early 1990s recession ("The recession we had to have") |
| 1990 | $26,827 | $6,206 – $7,193 | Monetary tightening peak (17.5% Cash Rate) |
| 1989 | $23,834 | $5,617 – $6,352 | The Australian Economy in 1989 → |
| 1988 | $22,155 | $5,514 – $5,562 | The Australian Economy in 1988 → |
| 1987 | $20,633 | $5,036 – $5,273 | October 1987 sharemarket crash |
| 1986 | $19,055 | $4,559 – $4,932 | The Australian Economy in 1986 → |
| 1985 | $17,636 | $4,324 – $4,479 | The Australian Economy in 1985 → |
| 1984 | $16,489 | $3,986 – $4,252 | The Australian Economy in 1984 → |
| 1983 | $15,151 | $3,601 – $3,940 | Float of the Australian Dollar & Prices and Incomes Accord |
| 1982 | $12,083 | $2,792 – $3,354 | Early 1980s recession & drought |
| 1981 | $10,262 | $2,453 – $2,682 | The Australian Economy in 1981 → |
| 1980 | $9,273 | $2,215 – $2,452 | The Australian Economy in 1980 → |
| 1979 | $8,282 | $2,026 – $2,125 | The Australian Economy in 1979 → |
| 1978 | $7,738 | $1,841 – $2,011 | The Australian Economy in 1978 → |
| 1977 | $6,907 | $1,619 – $1,801 | The Australian Economy in 1977 → |
| 1976 | $5,551 | $1,229 – $1,575 | The Australian Economy in 1976 → |
| 1975 | $4,207 | $929 – $1,161 | The Australian Economy in 1975 → |
| 1974 | $3,007 | $664 – $836 | 1974 wage explosion & stagflation peak |
| 1973 | $2,264 | $529 – $604 | First OPEC oil shock |
| 1972 | $1,767 | $413 – $477 | The Australian Economy in 1972 → |
| 1971 | $1,506 | $352 – $412 | The Australian Economy in 1971 → |
| 1970 | $1,357 | $329 – $352 | The Australian Economy in 1970 → |
| 1969 | $1,246 | $295 – $330 | The Australian Economy in 1969 → |
| 1968 | $1,128 | $275 – $291 | The Australian Economy in 1968 → |
| 1967 | $1,066 | $264 – $270 | The Australian Economy in 1967 → |
| 1966 | $999 | $244 – $254 | Decimal currency transition (£ to AUD) |
| 1965 | $934 | $227 – $239 | The Australian Economy in 1965 → |
| 1964 | $905 | $210 – $242 | The Australian Economy in 1964 → |
| 1963 | $825 | $200 – $215 | The Australian Economy in 1963 → |
| 1962 | $783 | $193 – $198 | The Australian Economy in 1962 → |
| 1961 | $729 | $170 – $189 | Menzies credit squeeze |
| 1960 | $642 | $153 – $167 | The Australian Economy in 1960 → |
| 1959 | $309 | $152 – $157 | The Australian Economy in 1959 → |
Related Australian Economic Statistics
Public Final Demand Share of GDPGovernment & Public Finance · 1959–2026
28.8%2026 Q2
Real Household Disposable Income GrowthEconomic Growth · 1960–2026
2.3%2026 Q2
Total Taxation Revenue (% of GDP)Government & Public Finance · 1959–2026
28.9%2026 Q2
Compare Welfare & Social Benefits against another indicator →
Source Information & Methodology
- Primary Institution:
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
- Dataset / Publication:
- Households Secondary Income Receivable - Social Assistance Benefits
- Series / Table ID:
- ABS Dataflow MODELLERS_DB (AC_TCB$)
- Release Frequency:
- Quarterly
• Primary source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) - Households Secondary Income Receivable - Social Assistance Benefits (ABS Dataflow MODELLERS_DB).
• Observation frequency: Quarterly. Annual table values represent calendar year sums.
• Series coverage spans 1959 to 2026 (68 annual observations).
APA Citation:Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2026). Households Secondary Income Receivable - Social Assistance Benefits (Dataflow MODELLERS_DB: AC_TCB$). Retrieved October 2026 from https://data.api.abs.gov.au
Frequently Asked Questions: Social Assistance Benefits to Households
- What is the current Social Assistance Benefits to Households?
- As of 2026 Q2, the latest recorded Social Assistance Benefits to Households is 44916.0 (A$ million / qtr), compared with 43988.0 in 2026 Q1.
- What is the highest and lowest Social Assistance Benefits to Households ever recorded in Australia?
- Across the historical series (1959–2026), the highest observation was 48442.0 (A$ million / qtr) in 2020 Q2, while the lowest was 152.0 (A$ million / qtr) in 1959 Q3. The long-run historical average is 53087.0.
- Where is the official Social Assistance Benefits to Households data sourced from?
- This series is compiled from Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (Households Secondary Income Receivable - Social Assistance Benefits, Series ID: AC_TCB$) and is updated on a quarterly basis under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).