To become a fairer nation, Australia needs to set national inequality targets

“Income inequality hits a 20-year high”. “Housing is less affordable than ever”. “The staggering truth about wage inequality in Australia”. Those are just some of the headlines we’ve seen this year about new research on growing inequality, which often hits younger Australians hardest. The United Nations tracks countries’ efforts to reduce inequalities. According to its 2025 report, Australia’s performance on cutting inequality is “stagnating”.