Anti Poverty Week – October 11, 2026

History of Anti Poverty Week

Initiated in 2002 by a performance-based student project at the University of South Wales, Sydney, and led by Professor Julian Disney, Anti-Poverty Week was created to broaden the public’s understanding of poverty, its effects, and consequences, as well as to conduct research and assessments on how to eradicate it, through the combined actions of individuals, groups, and organizations. The week was inspired by the United Nations’ International Day for the Eradication of Poverty — the main reason it is observed within the week around October 17. Each year, the organizers focus on an evidence-based solution and partner with relevant organizations to eradicate poverty.

The history of poverty in Australia goes back many decades. It has been a matter that attracted keen interest, mainly because Australia is among the most economically developed countries in the world. Facts and figures emerging through individual, organizational, and group studies consistently show the prevalence of poverty in the country. Poverty is almost endemic in the suburban parts of the country, where homeownership poses a serious challenge, and in some urban parts. In 1999, the poverty rate in Australia was estimated to be around 13.1% — a percentage that might appear low in other poverty-stricken countries, but that represents a significant portion of Australia’s total population.

Government efforts, facilitated by findings from groups and organizations have helped to mitigate the poverty levels. In 2003, poverty levels dropped to 11.5%. Unfortunately, this percentage shot up to a little over 14% a few years later. Annual reports by various concerned organizations indicate that from 2017 to 2020, over three million Australians live below the country’s poverty line, a significant percentage of whom are children below the age of 15. Anti-Poverty Week’s organizers strive to eradicate poverty from the country by partnering with concerned bodies.