The Living in Australia study

Welcome to the Living in Australia study for 2011!

Australia has become part of an international move to have a better understanding of the needs of its people. This type of knowledge is crucial for good decision making, planning and support for Australians. The Living in Australia study is designed to meet this need.

Having begun in 2001, the study is known as the Living in Australia study and is sometimes referred to in the media as the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia study (HILDA).

In this study we collect and analyse information from thousands of different families and individuals across Australia. We ask questions about life in Australia including your employment, family relationships, education and wellbeing. This allows researchers to find out, for example, how one area in your life can affect other areas and how people remain the same or change over time. It can also show us how external factors such as Governmentdecisions and world events affect our lives.

Ultimately this study is a source of information to those making economic and social welfare decisions for all Australians.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your commitment to the Living in Australia study. This study is held in very high regard as seen by extensive coverage in the media and its wide use in publications.

New to the survey? If you are visiting this website for the first time we hope you will have a look at some of the background information about the survey.We hope it contains all the information you need to know.

In the next few weeks an interviewer from Roy Morgan Research, the research company conducting the interviews, will visit you to answer any questions you may have. Alternatively, you can call us on 1800 656 670 or write to HILDA@roymorgan.com

A Message from the Productivity Commission Chairman, Gary Banks

The HILDA study has regularly informed Productivity Commission work since the release of the first wave of data in 2002.

HILDA has played a vital role in quantitative research, assisting the Commission to produce evidence-based policy advice. In particular, the data has been crucial for our ability to analyse the effects of the human capital stream of Council of Australian Governments (COAG) reforms. It has also been central to our work on the Paid Parental Leave Scheme and Vocational Education and Training Workforce.

In more recent years, as HILDA has matured and more waves of data have become available, the Commission staff have been able to exploit the study as a powerful tool for longitudinal analysis. The Commission values the accessibility, level of detail and capacity for broad and varied application of the HILDA data. The breadth and depth of the data have significantly enhanced the quality of the publications in which they have been used.

Gary Banks, AO
Chairman, Productivity Commission

What's new in 2011?

What life stage are you in? Are you focusing on your career, thinking about starting a family, moving out of home, a retiree, or just finding your feet? Many of our decisions on health, finances, work, relationships, and our hopes and dreams change as our life stage changes.

This year the HILDA project includes questions on areas such as retirement, relationships and other life stage topics. We are also proud to once again have been selected by the United Nations to ask questions on their behalf, as part of an International Survey into why people make particular decisions when forming families.

Most importantly, we are interested in knowing how things change in your life over time to gain an insight into the issues that are important to you now, and insights into those issues that will become more important to you in the future.

Message from the Governor General.