Australian Commutes Stretch Longer

According to the HILDA survey published last month by the University of Melbourne, longer commutes are becoming increasingly common in Australia. While in 2002 only around 12 percent of Australians reported having a daily commute lasting more than two hours, that number was more than 18 percent in 2017, the latest year available. At the same time, the number of Australian workers commuting for more than one but less than two hours also increased, from approximately 26 percent to 29 percent.

Traffic infrastructure stretched thin in metropolitan areas is partly to blame for longer travel times, as commuters are slowed down by congestion and overcrowded public transport. Australia’s population growth is stronger than that of comparable countries and also affects urban areas disproportionally. In total, this lengthened the average Australian commute by 23 percent since 2002.

Because of urban crowding, housing prices also were rising for a long time in Australia, resulting in many workers being priced out of inner city neighbourhoods, also adding to commuting times.