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Australians happier than ever
Australians are happier than ever living in Australia, with the latest Australian Unity Wellbeing Index rising to its highest ever level.
Deakin University professor and the author of index, Bob Cummins, said he believed the record result could be a reflection of the manner in which Australians believe they have fared better than others through the global financial crisis.
“Relatively speaking, Australia has weathered the economic storm quite well, so people are contrasting Australia with other countries that have not been so lucky,” he said.
Cummins said, similarly, the index had shown that Australians’ satisfaction with the economic situation had risen by a significant 1.54 points since October last year — the first time it had risen since October 2007, when it fell a dramatic 12.4 points over just a 12-month period.
Commenting on the index, Australian Unity managing director Rohan Mead said the fall experienced from October 2007 until the latest index was almost certainly tied to the major fall in the share market over the period.
The index also revealed that despite the economic crisis, satisfaction with the standard of living in Australia had risen by a significant 1.5 points, which Cummins said might have been attributable in part to the Government’s stimulatory packages, which provided households with additional discretionary income.
He said cuts to interest rates had also left many Australians better off and, generally, people were confident that the economy would recover.
AUTHOR
Mike Taylor
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