Many Australians are feeling less satisfied with their lives than they were during the COVID lockdowns, according to new data analysed by KPMG. The findings point to money worries increasingly weighing on how people across the country feel about their day-to-day lives.
KPMG, one of the world's top four accounting firms, examined figures drawn from more than 13,000 Australian households. The information was originally collected by the Bureau of Statistics, giving the analysis a broad base across the population.
Respondents were asked to rate their satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 10. Across the sample, the answers averaged 7.1, a figure the firm used to take the temperature of how content Australians are with their circumstances.
That result is lower than the 7.2 recorded in 2020. As the report notes, 2020 was a year defined by COVID lockdowns and severe restrictions on everyday life, which makes the comparison particularly striking.
In other words, even with the heavy constraints of the pandemic period, Australians reported slightly higher satisfaction then than they do now. The shift suggests that the pressures people are facing today are being felt in a different and tangible way.
KPMG's urban economist attributed the decline to money worries, framing financial pressure as a central factor behind the drop. The analysis adds to a wider picture of households feeling the strain of cost-of-living concerns across Australia.