Report of the New South Wales Chief Health Officer	Table of contents Chapter introduction On this page: Commentary Print version
	Social determinants

Key points

• Social factors such as income, socioeconomic status, employment status, educational attainment, and crime rates, are associated with inequalities in health.

• In NSW in 2003-04, the average weekly household income was $1,212. Wages and salaries accounted for more than half (58%) of household incomes and government pensions and allowances accounted for just over one quarter (26.6%).

• In NSW in 2005, measures of social capital related to safety and social reciprocity were higher in rural compared to urban areas. Social reciprocity was lowest in Sydney South West Area Health Service and highest in Greater Southern Area Health Service. Northern Sydney and Central Coast Area Health Service reported the highest proportion of residents (87.6%) who believed their area had a reputation as a safe place compared to only 65.3% in Sydney South West Area Health Service.

• Among NSW area health services, the North Coast Area Health Service had the largest proportion of low-income households, while the Western Sydney and Northern Sydney-Central Coast Area Health Services had the smallest proportions of such households.

• The proportion of the population receiving income support varied widely among areas. Overall, of those in the eligible age groups:

  - 67% received the age pension;

  - 7.7% received disability or sickness benefits;

  - 4.4% received unemployment benefits;

  - 30% of families received parenting payment.

• Among households in NSW in 2003-04, 27.9% comprised couples with dependent children, while 6.5% were one-parent families with dependent children. The proportion of both these household types was considerably less than in 2001 when corresponding proportions were were 44% and 10%.

• The unemployment rate has remained relatively steady since 2000, and stood at 5.5% for males and 5.3% for females in June 2006. However, unemployment rates vary by area and age group. Almost 14% of young people aged 15-24 years who live outside Sydney are unemployed.

• The Year 12 retention rate has increased since 2000 and is currently 71.1%. NSW has the fourth highest school retention rates behind ACT, Victoria and Queensland.

• More than 78,000 assaults and robberies and 300,000 thefts were recorded in NSW in 2005 . Outer-regional and remote areas have higher rates of assaults while the rate of robberies and thefts was higher in metropolitan areas.

• People living in outer-regional and remote areas are more socioeconomically disadvantaged than residents of inner-regional and metropolitan areas, as measured by composite indexes that combine factors including unemployment, education, early school leaving, occupation, non-English speaking background, indigenous origin, and economic resources.

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