The ups and downs of modern life in Australia
The 2024 HILDA survey provides a long-term look at Australian life, highlighting trends in parental leave, mental health, and housing. Data shows that while parental leave for men is increasing, mental health metrics have generally declined for younger demographics.
Why it matters
Longitudinal studies like HILDA are essential for policymakers to understand shifting social dynamics and the effectiveness of government interventions.
Link copied Share Share article How stressed out are we about housing? Are we happy in our long-term relationships? And are we getting smarter?
Every year since 2001, researchers have followed the lives of more than 17,000 people across Australia to answer questions like these.
It's called the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey , and data for 2024 has just been released.
Across nearly a quarter of a century, it gives us a window into how Australian life has changed.
Let's take a look at some of the ups and downs .
We'll go one step at a time. Just tap "show me another" to see each insight.
Across two surveys, both mothers and fathers have taken more paid parental leave.
In 2024, women took more than four months on average, while fathers took just four weeks .
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