Australia

Australia

Australasia

Oceania
79
Overall score
Strong overall
Language
English
Currency
AUD
Citizenship
4 years (PR + 12 months)
Personal tax
0–45% + Medicare levy
Cost of living
AUD 2,800 / mo (single)

High wages, world-class lifestyle and a transparent skilled-migration points system make Australia a top English-speaking destination, though it's far from everywhere and recently closed its investor visa.

Pros

  • High salaries & quality of life
  • Clear skilled points system
  • Strong universities & passport

Cons

  • Significant Investor Visa closed (2024)
  • Geographically isolated; high housing costs
  • Capital-gains tax at marginal rates

Best for

Skilled workersStudents seeking PRFamilies relocating

Score profile

Status & mobility
Passport
94
Citizenship
72
Residence
86
Money & business
Taxes
50
Corporate tax
29
Business
53
Investment
77
Economy
80
Wealth building
64
Living, study & work
Education
92
Salary & work
75
Cost of living
35
Buying power
73
Quality of life
Safety
84
Healthcare
91
Infrastructure
87
HDI
96

Status & mobility

Passport

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any travel or visa decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Passport power
Excellent
94

Passport-index style mobility for the Australia passport. The score above is its world reach: the share of 198 destinations reachable without a prior visa.

186 / 198
Mobility
#9
Global rank
Yes
Biometric
  • Visa-free120
  • On arrival40
  • eTA26
  • Visa required12

Passport Index style mobility data (2024–2025 estimate). Placeholder figures; verify current entry rules with each destination’s authority before travelling.

Citizenship

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any citizenship decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Citizenship accessibility
Good
72
Years required4 years lawful residence incl. 12 months as a permanent resident
Dual allowedtrue
LanguageEnglish + citizenship test
Residence4 years residence with PR for the final year; absence limits apply
NotesPermanent residence is usually reached first via the skilled points (SkillSelect) system.
Residence

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any residence / visa decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Openness to residents
Excellent
86
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines how international the population already is (migrant stock at 45%), governance quality (regulatory quality at 25%), and the curated residence-pathway signal (30%). Available indicators are reweighted; the published values are shown below.

Migrant stock30.4% of population (2024)
Regulatory quality1.72 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Main pathways
Skilled Independent (189)Skilled Nominated (190)Employer-sponsored (482/186)Student → Graduate (485)
StudentStudent visa; up to 48 hrs/fortnight during term.
WorkSkills in Demand (482) via sponsor; points-tested skilled visas.
Self-employedNo dedicated startup visa nationally; some state/business streams.
PermanentPR via points-tested or employer-sponsored streams.

Money & business

Taxes

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any tax decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Tax friendliness
Moderate
50
Personal0–45% + 2% Medicare levy
Corporate25% (base-rate entities) / 30%
Capital gainsTaxed at marginal rate; 50% discount on assets held > 12 months
DividendsMarginal rate with franking (imputation) credits
Exit taxYes: deemed disposal of certain assets on ceasing residency
Foreign cosCFC rules apply
Personal tax

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any tax decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Personal tax
Low
18
Personal0–45% + 2% Medicare levy
FreelanceSole trader with ABN; GST registration above AUD 75k
Capital gainsTaxed at marginal rate; 50% discount on assets held > 12 months
DividendsMarginal rate with franking (imputation) credits
Exit taxYes: deemed disposal of certain assets on ceasing residency
Corporate tax

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any tax decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Corporate tax
Low
29
Corporate25% (base-rate entities) / 30%
Capital gainsTaxed at marginal rate; 50% discount on assets held > 12 months
DividendsMarginal rate with franking (imputation) credits
Foreign cosCFC rules apply
Business
Business friendliness
Moderate
53
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score leans on the two things founders ask about most: the tax burden (headline corporate rate at 20%, broader tax friendliness at 15%, and freedom from exit-tax / CFC rules at 10%) plus the regulatory and bureaucratic environment (regulatory quality 15%, government effectiveness 15%), on top of the curated company-rules signal (25%). Available indicators are reweighted; the values are shown below.

Regulation & bureaucracy
Regulatory quality1.72 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Government effectiveness1.81 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Rules & taxes
Foreign co.Yes: foreign ownership permitted (FIRB approval for some assets)
Local co.Pty Ltd; requires at least one resident director
FreelanceSole trader with ABN; GST registration above AUD 75k
Corporate tax25% (base-rate entities) / 30%
Capital gainsTaxed at marginal rate; 50% discount on assets held > 12 months
Exit taxYes: deemed disposal of certain assets on ceasing residency
Foreign cosCFC rules apply
Investment

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any investment / tax decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Investing environment
Good
77
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score is mostly the investor-tax signal (capital-gains treatment, broker access, wealth tax, and ETF or other taxes on investment, 70%), lightly contextualised by equity-market depth (market cap / GDP at 18%) and credit depth (domestic credit to the private sector / GDP at 12%). Available indicators are reweighted.

Market cap99% of GDP (2024)
Private credit129% of GDP (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Capital gainsMarginal rate with 50% long-term discount; super is tax-advantaged
DividendsData not available yet
ETFs & fundsData not available yet
Wealth taxNone
BrokersGood: CommSec, Stake, Interactive Brokers
Foreign accessData not available yet
Tax-advantagedData not available yet
Economy
Economic strength
Excellent
80
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines income level (GDP and GNI per capita, output per worker), growth momentum (real GDP growth), price stability (inflation) and labour utilisation (unemployment). Available indicators are reweighted; the sector split and industry profile below are descriptive, not scored.

Output & income
GDP$1.8T (2024)
GDP / person$64,604 (2024)
GNI / person$69,600 PPP (2024)
GDP growth1.4% / yr (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Stability & labour
Inflation3.2% / yr (2024)
Unemployment4.1% (2025)
Output per worker$114,528 PPP (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Sector composition
Agriculture2.0% of GDP (2024)
Industry25.5% of GDP (2024)
Services66.1% of GDP (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Main industries
MiningFinancial servicesAgricultureEducationTourismHealthcare
Top exports
Iron oreCoalNatural gasGoldEducation services
TypeHigh-income, resources- and services-led
Key sectorsMining & resources, Banking & superannuation, International education
SummaryA resource-rich high-income economy: a leading minerals and gas exporter with strong finance and education.
CurrencyAustralian dollar (commodity-linked)
Wealth building

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any tax / investment decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Wealth accumulation
Moderate
64
How this score is calculated

How favourable Australia is for building wealth: earnings and business/investment upside, tax drag, and how much a typical income keeps after living costs. Estimated from the factors below.

Salary & work
Excellent
86
Business
Moderate
58
Investment
Good
78
Tax friendliness
Moderate
50
Cost of living
Limited
35

Living, study & work

Education
Education score
Excellent
92
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines attainment (expected schooling at 30% and mean schooling at 25%) with participation (tertiary enrolment at 25%) and public investment (government education spending at 20%). Available indicators are reweighted; tuition and study rules remain separate profile fields below.

Attainment
Expected schooling20.7 years (2023)
Mean schooling12.9 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Participation & investment
Tertiary enrolment108% gross (2024)
Education spending5.1% of GDP (2022)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

TuitionAUD 20,000–45,000 / yr (international)
Public uniDomestic CSP places subsidised; international full-fee
LanguagesEnglish
Student workUp to 48 hrs/fortnight in term; unlimited in breaks
Salary & work
Labour-market strength
Good
75
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines output per worker (a proxy for wage potential at 40%), unemployment (35%) and labour-force participation (25%). Available indicators are reweighted; the curated profile fields remain below.

Output per worker$114,528 PPP (2024)
Unemployment4.1% (2025)
Participation66.5% of 15+ (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Mean monthly earnings of employees
Overall$3,756 · $3,324 PPP (2021)

Source: ILOSTAT (International Labour Organization)

Tech salary (estimate)AUD 120,000–170,000 (senior dev)
FreelanceStrong contracting; high day rates in mining/finance/tech
Job marketSydney & Melbourne tech hubs; skills shortages aid migrants.
Cost of living
Affordability
Limited
35

Our 0–100 affordability score is derived from the local consumer price level (World Bank, US = 100): the cheaper everyday prices are, the higher it scores. Lower price level means your money goes further here.

Price level94 (US = 100) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

RentAUD 2,000–3,200 (1BR Sydney)
MonthlyAUD 2,800
CitiesSydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth
Buying power
Purchasing power score
Good
73
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score estimates how far money goes for the typical person here. It combines GNI per capita at PPP (30%) and actual household consumption per person at PPP (15%) with a price-advantage term from the local price level (25%) that rewards lower prices, then adjusts for income equality via the Gini index (20%), so unequal economies don't ride a high average, plus price stability via consumer inflation (10%). Available indicators are reweighted; it is a comparison, not a personal budget estimate.

GNI / person$69,600 PPP (2024)
Consumption / person$35,507 PPP (2024)
Price level94 (US = 100) (2024)
Income inequality33.8 Gini (2020)
Inflation3.2% / yr (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Quality of life

Safety
Safety & stability
Excellent
84
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines personal safety (intentional homicide rate at 35%), institutional quality (rule of law at 25% and control of corruption at 20%), and political stability and absence of violence (20%). Available indicators are reweighted; the published values are shown below. Always check current government travel and security advice before relocating.

Personal safety
Homicide rate0.9 per 100,000 (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Institutions & stability
Rule of law1.47 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Control of corruption1.85 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Political stability0.79 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Healthcare
Healthcare score
Excellent
91
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines health outcomes (life expectancy at 25% and under-5 mortality at 20%) with system capacity (physicians at 20% and hospital beds at 15% per 1,000 people) and health spending per capita (20%). Available indicators are reweighted; the published values are shown below.

Outcomes
Life expectancy83.1 years (2024)
Under-5 mortality3.6 per 1,000 births (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Capacity & resourcing
Physicians4.09 per 1,000 (2022)
Hospital beds3.82 per 1,000 (2016)
Health spending$7,691 PPP / person (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

System & costs
SystemUniversal public (Medicare) + private
InsuranceMedicare for citizens/PR; visa holders need OVHC/private cover
Avg costPrivate hospital cover ~AUD 100–200 / mo
Infrastructure
Infrastructure score
Excellent
87
How this score is calculated

The score combines digital access, resilience and download performance (30%), electricity access and network losses (30%), and transport infrastructure covering rail, logistics and aviation (40%). Available inputs are reweighted, but a country needs both digital and transport data to receive a score.

Digital infrastructure
Internet use96.1% (2024)
Internet resilience75 / 100 (2026)
Fixed speed83 / 100 download index (2026)
Mobile speed73 / 100 download index (2026)

Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators · Internet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Index

Utilities
Electricity access100.0% (2023)
Grid losses4.7% of output (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Transport
Transport quality4.10 / 5 (2022)
Air connectivity24,961 departures / million people (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

HDI
Human development score
Excellent
96
How this score is calculated

The UN Human Development Index is the geometric mean of three dimension indices (a long and healthy life, knowledge, and a decent standard of living), shown on a 0–100 map scale (HDI × 100). The 2023 UNDP inputs behind each dimension are listed below.

HDI0.958 (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Long & healthy life
Life expectancy83.9 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Knowledge
Expected schooling20.7 years (2023)
Mean schooling12.9 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Standard of living
GNI / person$58,277 PPP (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Resources

Mock data for demonstration only. Not legal or tax advice.