Notes on the data: Housing/ Transport

Private dwellings with no motor vehicle, 2016

Policy context: In the 2016 Census, 623,829 private dwellings (7.5% of all dwellings) reported having no motor vehicle [1]. While some of these households may represent more affluent, inner city dwellings, the majority are more likely to be disadvantaged households. A household can be considered to be disadvantaged if it lacks the resources to participate fully in society [2]. Ready access to transport provides a link with social and work-related activities. While public transport can adequately provide this link for some households, for others this access is achieved through owning a car. People living in households without a car face many disadvantages in gaining access to jobs, services and recreation, especially if they are in low-density outer suburbia, or in rural or remote areas, or in a country town. The ability to afford to run and maintain a vehicle in reliable condition to meet their transport needs, and the costs of registering and insuring a vehicle, are other important factors.

References

ABS. 2016 Census Community Profiles. Canberra: ABS; 2017 Mar, accessed 8 August 2017. Available from: http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/communityprofile/036?opendocument
Townsend P. Deprivation. J Soc Policy. 1987;16:125-46.

Notes: The numerator excludes the 3.4% of dwellings for which the number of motor vehicles was not stated: however, these records are included in the denominator.

Geography: Data available by Population Health Area, Local Government Area, Primary Health Network, Quintiles and Remoteness Areas

Numerator: Occupied private dwellings with no motor vehicle garaged or parked there on Census night

Denominator: All occupied private dwellings

Detail of analysis: Percent

Source: Compiled by PHIDU based on the ABS Census of Population and Housing, August 2016.