FACTBase Bulletin 38 - Economic stress in Perth: a matter of geography

This FACTBase Bulletin explores economic stress across Perth and Peel Statistical Local Areas between 2008 and 2012, using an index of economic stress to highlight local geographies of poverty and disadvantage.

Key Findings

• Between 2008 and 2012, the Stress Index (SI) scores for the Greater Perth region were generally declining in the inner metropolitan regions and intensifying in the outer regions.
• The ten most economically stressed SLAs in the Greater Perth region are a mix of inner and outer metropolitan regions. In 2012 the top three economically stressed SLAs were Kwinana, Perth- Inner, and Stirling Central.
• The ten least economically stressed SLAs were majority comprised of Perth’s inner regions with the top three being Peppermint Grove, Cottesloe and Nedlands in 2012.
• Despite the overall increase in wealth across greater Perth noted in FACTBase 36, there are distinct patterns of economic distress across Perth, spatially manifesting itself in the outer regions of the city.