Australians wanting to be in the country's top 1% for wealth need to have an individual net worth of US$5.5 million ($8.3 million), Knight Frank's 2023 Wealth Report has found.
Switzerland and Australia have the next highest entry points to the 1%, requiring net worth of $6.6 million and $5.5 million, respectively, according to data released Wednesday as part of the property broker's 2023 Wealth Report. In the US, $5.1 million will get you over the threshold.
Average Australian Salaries in 2023
A taxable income that was $131,501 or higher was within the top 10% of earners in Australia last year. About 5% of taxpayers had incomes above $180,000. Someone who earned more than $253,066 was in the top 1%.
But the number might surprise you. To be considered in Australia's highest percentage of wealth, you must have a total net worth of a staggering US$5.5 million (A$8.26 million).
While 7 figures in superannuation may sound great, the reality is most people heading into retirement won't have anywhere near that amount. According to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia Limited (ASFA), Australians aged between 60-64 have a median balance of $178,808 for men, and $137,051 for women1.
Additionally, statistics show that the top 2% of the United States population has a net worth of about $2.4 million. On the other hand, the top 5% wealthiest Americans have a net worth of just over $1 million.
As such, the average median household income (Purchasing Power Parity) in Australia was 95,371 AUD (USD 63,393) for the year 2021. This puts Australia in the top 10 countries for the highest median household income.
So if you're on $100k or more, congratulations, you're in the top 20% of Aussie income earners. If not, don't worry, you're in the good company of 80% of Aussies.
There aren't many of them, just 110,613 — 82,258 men and 28,355 women. Only 39,209 have taxable incomes of more than $500,000, and of these only 14,467 have taxable incomes of more than $1 million.
From the top 5% to the top 1%
Salaries start to jump significantly the closer you get to the top 1%. You'll start to see dramatic shifts in the top 5%, where the EPI found the average earners significantly increased to $343,000 in 2020, up from $324,000 the year before.
What is the average annual income range for the Australian middle class? The average annual income range for the Australian middle class is between AUD 46,000 and AUD 140,000.
Is $200,000 enough to get by on? 'It isn't much. If you're married with a couple of kids you're struggling to get the average house in Melbourne or Sydney on that amount,' he said. 'You get no government benefits and pay a pile of tax.
More than 50% of Australians identified themselves as belonging to the middle class. 40% identified themselves as belonging to the working class. Less than 3% considered themselves amongst the upper class.
Always wear clean clothes, freshly pressed, with no threads, rips, stains, or fading. Black, white, navy are always elegant colours that can make you look more expensive. Match your outfit with some assorted accessories such as a couple of bracelets and a pair of sunglasses for that extra visual effect.
A net-worth millionaire is someone who has a net worth of at least $1,000,000. Net worth is a fancy way to say 'what you own minus what you owe. ' If that amount ends up being $1,000,000+, you're a net-worth millionaire."
The Millionaire Next Door formula multiplies your age times your pretax annual income divided by 10 to get your expected net worth—this excludes inheritances. You are wealthy if your net worth is twice as large as your expected net worth.
According to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia's Retirement Standard, to have a 'comfortable' retirement, a couple who own their own home will need an income of about $70,500. A single person will need an annual income of more than $50,000.
So, how much does one need to retire in comfort? If you're single, you'll need more than $500,000, assuming you own your own home, according to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia Retirement Standard. That figure is worryingly higher than the average super balance.