Administrative data snapshot of housing

Latest release

An experimental snapshot of Australia's housing using administrative data

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Reference period
30 June 2021
Released
29/08/2023
Next release Unknown
First release

Key statistics

  • About 94% of houses across Australia were recorded in government administrative data sources during the last 5 years.
  • At the time of the snapshot, 89% of these were in use as a primary residence, 9.7% were in use but not as a primary residence and 1.3% showed no sign of recent use. About 1.3% of houses with electricity data also showed no sign of recent use.
  • Average daily electricity use was lower for dwellings where the main source of income was age pension compared with disability support pension or wages/salary.

The Administrative Data Snapshot of Population and Housing (ADS) is a new, experimental release of population and housing data built from administrative data sources.

Like the Census, the ADS provides a snapshot of Australian people and houses at a point in time but has a smaller and different set of person and housing characteristics.

This release provides selected statistics and data tables from the housing part the ADS, referred to as the "housing snapshot". There is a similar release for the population part of the ADS, referred to as the "population snapshot".

Data included in this release are not official statistics. They provide experimental information about dwellings recorded in administrative data. The ABS would like your feedback on this experimental product and how it could be improved.

Dwelling person characteristics

Across Australia, the average number of persons per dwelling in the housing snapshot was 2.6 and the median equivalised dwelling income was $1,089 per week (gross).

Dwelling activity

Dwelling activity is an indication of whether a dwelling was in recent use.

Data from the Multi-agency data integration project (MADIP) provides a measure of dwellings in use as a primary residence. Both MADIP and electricity data provide separate measures of inactive dwellings that show no sign of recent use.

The proportion of dwellings in use as a primary residence is similar across all states and territories ranging from 86.6% in the Northern Territory to 90.6% in the Australian Capital Territory.

Across Australia, MADIP and electricity data both assigned 1.3% of dwellings as inactive, showing no sign of recent use. Inactive dwellings using MADIP ranged from 1.2% in the Australian Capital Territory to 2.4% in the Northern Territory. Inactive dwellings using electricity data ranged from 0.5% in the Australian Capital Territory to 1.9% in South Australia.

Dwelling electricity consumption

Average electricity consumption for 2-person dwellings was highest in Tasmania, where median equivalised dwelling income was lowest. 

Electricity consumption was examined for low- and high-income dwellings. Low-income dwellings refers to the lowest dwelling income quintile, adjusted to exclude the first and second percentiles. High-income dwellings refers to the highest dwelling income quintile.

Electricity consumption for low-income dwellings was lower than average for 1- and 2-person dwellings. Electricity consumption for high-income dwellings was higher than average for 1-person through 5-person or more dwellings.

(a) Excludes the first and second percentiles

Electricity consumption was higher for dwellings where the main source of income was wages/salary than for dwellings where the main source of income was age pension, especially for dwellings with fewer people .

It was also higher for dwellings where the main source of income was disability support pension compared with dwellings where the main source of income was age pension, especially for dwellings with a larger number of people.

Interactive map

Data sourced from the Administrative Data Snapshot of Population and Housing can be viewed on the interactive map.

Image: map of South East Australia showing the Average Daily Usage of electricity by total number of dwellings by LGAs. Also displayed is an LGA approximation of climate zones.

How to use

  • By clicking on a region a new window will appear revealing a further breakdown of the categories.  
  • A series of buttons appear with each map which enable the user to switch between different geographic areas or different variables.
  • Search: the search icon opens the search function. It is set to look for locations such as addresses, suburbs and SA2/LGA name.
  • Data: on each map, an SA2 or LGA region can be selected to view the underlying data. Data for all SA2s and LGAs can be found in the Download section of this publication.
  • If the maps do not load successfully, please try refreshing this page.

Geographic areas

The  boundaries used in this map are:

Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) and Local Government Areas (LGA), 2021, boundaries according to the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3.

The climate zones displayed are an ABS approximation using Local Government Areas (LGA), 2021, of the zones as depicted in the interactive map produced by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABSB).

Additional note about ABS approximated climate zones: For the purposes of this interactive map, geographically distant parts of unincorporated LGAs have been allocated to the same climate zones as their adjacent LGAs, regardless of population distribution. This may differ from the data allocation in the Administrative data snapshot of housing, 30 June 2021. Please see list below for affected areas.

  • Phillip Island has been allocated to Climate Zone 6, while the remainder of Unincorporated Vic. has been allocated to Climate Zone 8.
  • Lorde Howe Island has been allocated to Climate Zone 2, while the reminder of Unincorporated NSW has been allocated to Climate Zone 4.
  • Norfolk Island has been allocated to Climate Zone 2, while the reminder of Unincorporated Other Territories has been allocated to Climate Zone 6.

Data downloads

Download all (2.97 MB)

Housing snapshot

Data files

Post release changes

27/09/2023 - The values for Median income of persons associated/not associated with dwellings in Table 11-15 Housing Characteristics have been updated to include persons aged 15 years and over only.

19/09/2023 - Added link and information for interactive maps separately published on 19/09/2023.

Methodology

Administrative data snapshot of housing, methodology, 30 June 2021