Victoria’s economy has begun to under-perform that of the rest of Australia, even though its population growth rate (which has under-pinned an above average ‘headline’ economic growth rate for most of the past two decades) is still above that of the rest of Australia. But measured in terms of either per capita gross product, or per capita household disposable income, Victoria has become a relatively ‘poor’ state, along with perennial cellar-dwellers South Australia and Tasmania.  And Victoria’s public finances are a mess. Victoria is nowhere near to ‘going broke’: but it faces a painful menu of spending cuts and tax increases if it is to cease adding to its pile of debt, and begin to repay at least some of it.

This presentation to the Victorian Branch of the Economics Society of Australia on 5th March 2025 looks at the performance of Victoria’s economy and the state of Victoria’s public finances in more detail.

2025-03-05 ESA Victoria