We're often asked what it's like living in Australia. Luckily, the best way to find out is to come visit! If you really want some independent data before you do...

  • The United Nations has developed the Human Development Index (HDI) as a comparative measure of life expectancy, literacy, education and standards of living for countries worldwide. Australia bounces around in the Top 10 in this index, along with Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland ... and of course, that's without taking climate into account. (Not that there's anything wrong with winter in those other places we're sure).
  • According to the OECD:
    Australia is one of the most socially mobile countries in the OECD. What your parents earned when you were a child has very little effect on your own earnings. Australia's performance in this respect is much more like those of Denmark and Canada, not Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States, where there is much less mobility.
  • Similarly, the educational attainment of the parent affects the educational achievements of the child less than in most other countries.
  • Terry Pratchett wrote a book called The Last Continent. In the preface he says:
    This is not a book about Australia. No it's about somewhere entirely different which just happens to be, here and there, a bit ... australian.
    We recommend it most highly.
  • In 2024 the Institute for the Quality of Life found Brisbane to be one of the happiest cities in the world—the only Australian city to be Gold ranked. According to the New Daily:
    Known for its balmy weather, beaches, diverse food scene and bike-friendly streets, Brisbane’s highest-ranking categories were mobility, economy and governance.
  • In 2026 a study of the The 50 Best Cities In The World To Raise A Family found:
    Australia: The Clear Favorite for Raising a Family. No country is better represented than Australia, which has four cities in the top 10 due in part to the country’s relative safety and happiness scores.
    And pleasingly, the #1 city in the world is Brisbane. According to Forbes:
    Brisbane, Australia, took the top spot. The Queensland capital stood out for its abundance of green space, with 84.89 parks and playgrounds per 100,000 residents. It also had a strong safety score and generous national parental leave policies. Australia offers a combined 54 weeks of statutory parental leave, tied for the highest among countries included in the index.
    So that's nice. However I reckon wherever you have family and friends around you as you raise your family is pretty damn good! For those who are interested, spots 2 to 5 were London, Auckland, Helsinki, and Sydney.