BSL Talks - Measuring poverty in Australia - Henderson’s Legacy and the Path Ahead

BSL Talks - Measuring poverty in Australia - Henderson’s Legacy and the Path Ahead

2025 marks 50 years since the Henderson poverty Inquiry.  

The Inquiry shone a light on poverty and its measurement. For decades, the Henderson poverty line helped researchers and policy makers gauge progress (or lack of progress) in tackling poverty.  

While the Henderson poverty line was an important development in its time, Australia has never adopted official poverty measures. 

This anniversary provides an important opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come, and where we need to go next.  

Despite a growing focus on cost of living and inequality, Australia remains one of the few countries in the world without official poverty measures. 

In 2025, the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee recommended that Australia establish monetary and multidimensional poverty measures.  

Facilitated by our Chief of Strategy and Impact, Zeah Behrend, join our latest BSL Talks discussion with Dr Nicole Bieske (BSL’s Director of Research, Advocacy and Policy), Dr Melek Cigdem-Bayram (BSL & Melbourne Institute) and two experts with lived experience, Jo and Tamara, as we explore what having official poverty measures would mean for Australia.