Australia
Australasia
Oceania
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.
82
Overall score
Excellent · 97% data coverage
Language
EnglishCurrency
AUDCitizenship
4 years (PR + 12 months)Personal tax
0–45% + Medicare levyCost of living
AUD 2,800 / mo (single)Rules change often. Confirm any immigration, tax or legal decision with a qualified professional.
Score breakdown
90
Access
17%96Residence12%
77Citizenship and passport5%
74
Earning power
25%75Salary and work12%
73Buying power13%
71
Business and wealth
20%50Taxes7%
82Business8%
83Investment5%
89
Daily life
25%88Quality of life18%
92Education7%
90
Rights and institutions
13%87Freedom6%
93Rule of law7%
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
Access
Residence
96
Citizenship
71
Passport
94
Earning power
Salary & work
75
Buying power
73
Cost of living
34
Economy
80
Business and wealth
Taxes
50
Personal tax
18
Corporate tax
29
Business
82
Investment
83
Wealth building
67
Daily life
Safety
85
Healthcare
91
Environment
98
Infrastructure
87
Education
92
HDI
96
Rights and institutions
Freedom
87
Rule of law
93
Access
Residence
Openness to residents
96Excellent
Migrant stock30.4% of population (2024)
Regulatory quality1.72 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Main pathways
Skilled Independent (189)Skilled Nominated (190)Employer-sponsored (482/186)Student → Graduate (485)
| Student | Student visa; up to 48 hrs/fortnight during term. |
|---|---|
| Work | Skills in Demand (482) via sponsor; points-tested skilled visas. |
| Self-employed | No dedicated startup visa nationally; some state/business streams. |
| Permanent | PR via points-tested or employer-sponsored streams. |
Citizenship
Citizenship accessibility
71Good
| Years required | 4 years lawful residence incl. 12 months as a permanent resident |
|---|---|
| Dual allowed | Yes |
| Language | English + citizenship test |
| Residence | 4 years residence with PR for the final year; absence limits apply |
| Notes | Permanent residence is usually reached first via the skilled points (SkillSelect) system. |
Passport
Passport power
94Excellent
186 / 198
Mobility
#9
Global rank
Yes
Biometric
- Visa-free120
- On arrival40
- eTA26
- Visa required12
Placeholder estimates for 2024 to 2025. Check entry rules with each destination before travelling.
Earning power
Salary & work
Labour-market strength
75Good
Output per worker$114,539 PPP (2024)
Unemployment4.1% (2025)
Participation66.5% of 15+ (2025)
Mean monthly earnings of employees
Overall$3,756 · $3,324 PPP (2021)
| Tech salary (estimate) | AUD 120,000–170,000 (senior dev) |
|---|---|
| Freelance | Strong contracting; high day rates in mining/finance/tech |
| Job market | Sydney & Melbourne tech hubs; skills shortages aid migrants. |
Buying power
Purchasing power score
73Good
GNI / person$69,930 PPP (2025)
Consumption / person$34,970 PPP (2024)
Price level95 (US = 100) (2025)
Income inequality33.8 Gini (2020)
Inflation2.9% / yr (2025)
Cost of living
Affordability
34Limited
Price level95 (US = 100) (2025)
| Rent | AUD 2,000–3,200 (1BR Sydney) |
|---|---|
| Monthly | AUD 2,800 |
| Cities | Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth |
Economy
Economic strength
80Excellent
Output & income
GDP$1.8T (2025)
GDP / person$65,130 (2025)
GNI / person$69,930 PPP (2025)
GDP growth1.4% / yr (2024)
Stability & labour
Inflation2.9% / yr (2025)
Unemployment4.1% (2025)
Output per worker$114,539 PPP (2024)
Sector composition
Agriculture2.3% of GDP (2025)
Industry23.9% of GDP (2025)
Services67.5% of GDP (2025)
Main industries
MiningFinancial servicesAgricultureEducationTourismHealthcare
Top exports
Iron oreCoalNatural gasGoldEducation services
| Type | High-income, resources- and services-led |
|---|---|
| Key sectors | Mining & resources, Banking & superannuation, International education |
| Summary | A resource-rich high-income economy: a leading minerals and gas exporter with strong finance and education. |
| Currency | Australian dollar (commodity-linked) |
Business and wealth
Taxes
Tax friendliness
50Moderate
| Personal | 0–45% + 2% Medicare levy |
|---|---|
| Corporate | 25% (base-rate entities) / 30% |
| Capital gains | Taxed at marginal rate; 50% discount on assets held > 12 months |
| Dividends | Marginal rate with franking (imputation) credits |
| Exit tax | Yes: deemed disposal of certain assets on ceasing residency |
| Foreign companies | CFC rules apply |
Personal tax
Personal tax
18Low
| Personal | 0–45% + 2% Medicare levy |
|---|---|
| Freelance | Sole trader with ABN; GST registration above AUD 75k |
| Capital gains | Taxed at marginal rate; 50% discount on assets held > 12 months |
| Dividends | Marginal rate with franking (imputation) credits |
| Exit tax | Yes: deemed disposal of certain assets on ceasing residency |
Corporate tax
Corporate tax
29Low
| Corporate | 25% (base-rate entities) / 30% |
|---|---|
| Capital gains | Taxed at marginal rate; 50% discount on assets held > 12 months |
| Dividends | Marginal rate with franking (imputation) credits |
| Foreign companies | CFC rules apply |
Business
Business friendliness
82Excellent
Regulation & bureaucracy
Regulatory quality1.72 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Government effectiveness1.81 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Operating rules
| Foreign company | Yes: foreign ownership permitted (FIRB approval for some assets) |
|---|---|
| Local company | Pty Ltd; requires at least one resident director |
| Freelance | Sole trader with ABN; GST registration above AUD 75k |
Investment
Investing environment
83Excellent
Market cap114% of GDP (2025)
Private credit134% of GDP (2025)
| Capital gains | Marginal rate with 50% long-term discount; super is tax-advantaged |
|---|---|
| Dividends | Data not available yet |
| ETFs & funds | Data not available yet |
| Wealth tax | None |
| Brokers | Good: CommSec, Stake, Interactive Brokers |
| Foreign access | Data not available yet |
| Tax-advantaged | Data not available yet |
Wealth building
Wealth accumulation
67Good
Salary & work
75Good
Business
82Excellent
Investment
83Excellent
Tax friendliness
50Moderate
Cost of living
34Limited
Daily life
Safety
Safety & stability
85Excellent
Institutions & stability
Control of corruption1.85 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Political stability0.79 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Check current government travel and security advice before relocating.
Healthcare
Healthcare score
91Excellent
Outcomes
Life expectancy83.1 years (2024)
Under-5 mortality3.6 per 1,000 births (2024)
Capacity & resourcing
Physicians4.09 per 1,000 (2022)
Hospital beds3.82 per 1,000 (2016)
Health spending$7,691 PPP / person (2023)
System & costs
| System | Universal public (Medicare) + private |
|---|---|
| Insurance | Medicare for citizens/PR; visa holders need OVHC/private cover |
| Average cost | Private hospital cover ~AUD 100–200 / mo |
Environment
Environment score
98Excellent
Environmental pressure
PM2.5 exposure6.4 μg/m³ annually (2023)
Water stress4.7% (2022)
Infrastructure
Infrastructure score
87Excellent
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)
Transport
Transport quality4.10 / 5 (2022)
Air connectivity24,583 departures / million people (2023)
Education
Education score
92Excellent
Attainment
Expected schooling20.7 years (2023)
Mean schooling12.9 years (2023)
Participation & investment
Tertiary enrolment108% gross (2024)
Education spending5.1% of GDP (2022)
| Tuition | AUD 20,000–45,000 / yr (international) |
|---|---|
| Public university | Domestic CSP places subsidised; international full-fee |
| Languages | English |
| Student work | Up to 48 hrs/fortnight in term; unlimited in breaks |
HDI
Human development score
96Excellent
HDI0.958 (2023)
Knowledge
Expected schooling20.7 years (2023)
Mean schooling12.9 years (2023)
Rights and institutions
Freedom
Freedom score
87Excellent
| Freedom in the World | 95 / 100 (Free) |
|---|---|
| Freedom on the Net | 75 / 100 (Free) |
Sources
Rule of law
Rule of law score
93Excellent
| Rule of Law percentile | 93 / 100 |
|---|
Sources
Resources
Official references
Dept. of Home Affairs: Immigrationimmi.homeaffairs.gov.auAustralian Taxation Officeato.gov.auUNDP Human Development Report 2025hdr.undp.orgInternet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Indexpulse.internetsociety.orgWorld Bank World Development Indicatorsdata.worldbank.orgILOSTAT (International Labour Organization)ilostat.ilo.org
Quick links
Data is illustrative. Not legal or tax advice.