Australia percentage seeing item as essential and percentage can't afford

Item Is it essential Doesn't have, can't afford
Medical treatment when needed 99.7% 1.0%
Warm clothes and bedding, if it’s cold 99.6% 0.1%
A substantial meal at least once a day 99.3% 0.1%
Medicines when prescribed by a doctor 98.9% 0.5%
Dental treatment when needed 97.4% 4.9%
A decent and secure home 96.9% 0.3%
When it is cold, able to keep at least one room of the house adequately warm 95.4% 0.7%
A home with doors and windows that are secure 94.5% 0.6%
A yearly dental check-up for each child 94.4% 3.3%
A roof and gutters that do not leak 86.1% 2.3%
A telephone (landline or mobile) 84.3% 0.1%
A hobby or a regular leisure activity for children 84.1% 3.4%
Furniture in reasonable condition 82.8% 0.3%
Children being able to participate in school trips and school events that cost money 82.2% 0.9%
A separate bed for each child 79.7% 0.8%
Getting together with friends or relatives for a drink or meal at least once a month 79.4% 2.4%
At least $500 in savings for an emergency 79.4% 11.3%
A washing machine 79.1% 0.3%
Home contents insurance 61.7% 7.7%
Comprehensive motor vehicle insurance 59.1% 4.4%
New school clothes for school-age children every year 57.3% 6.7%
A motor vehicle 55.9% 2.0%

Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. From ‘Mapping the Australian Poverty Profile: A Multidimensional Deprivation Approach’, Peter Saunders and Yuvisthi Naidoo, The Australian Economic Review, vol. 51, no. 3, pp. 336–50; DOI: 10.1111/1467-8462.12266

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