Who’s driving inflation? (hint: they’re wealthier and older)
Nov 12, 2023
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Mike Seccombe, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper, explores the impact of intergenerational inequality on inflation. The discussion focuses on changes in spending patterns, the influence of housing costs, and the wealth effect. It also touches on news updates about Gaza hospitals and Australian shipping ports.
Wealthier and older Australians are driving inflation through increased spending on non-essential items, exacerbating intergenerational wealth disparity.
Rising housing costs have forced younger Australians to reduce spending on non-essential goods and services, while wealthier, older Australians continue to spend more, contributing to higher inflation rates.
Deep dives
RBA raises interest rates to combat rising prices
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) decided to increase interest rates by 0.25% in response to concerns about rising prices. Inflation has climbed to 5.4%, driven by increased spending from wealthier, older Australians who can afford non-essential items. Meanwhile, younger and less affluent Australians struggle to afford basic necessities like food and accommodation. The interest rate hike exacerbates the intergenerational wealth disparity, as younger people, who are often burdened with mortgages and childcare expenses, bear the brunt.
Housing affordability and its impact on spending habits
The skyrocketing housing prices over several decades have forced younger Australians to spend more on essentials like housing, leaving them with less discretionary income. Between 1992 and 2018, house prices grew nearly three times faster than wages. As a result, younger generations have reduced their spending on non-essential goods and services to cope with the rising housing costs. On the other hand, wealthier, older Australians, who already own homes, are spending more, contributing to higher inflation rates. To address this, house prices need to stabilize or decrease to reduce the wealth gap.
Political implications and limited solutions
The issue of intergenerational inequality and the cost of living crisis is becoming a significant political concern. People are starting to support parties like the Greens, which advocate for rent caps and increased government spending on social and affordable housing. The government has made some attempts to address the issue by increasing Medicare benefits and tackling energy prices. However, more needs to be done to rein in spending by wealthier individuals, which both major parties are hesitant to do due to potential unpopularity. Instead, the government plans to implement tax cuts that primarily benefit high-end homeowners, further exacerbating the issue. Ultimately, solutions rely on easing supply constraints and waiting for inflation to naturally decrease.
Australia is not out of the woods on the cost-of-living crisis – prices are still rising too fast.
Last week, the RBA were so concerned that they hiked interest rates again, saying it’s the only way to slow down the spending that’s pushing prices higher.
But who is doing the spending? And how do they have money to throw around?
Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe, on the Australians still spending big and why it means more economic pain for the rest of us.