Australians generated an estimated A$406.3 billion in unpaid contributions to the Australian economy in 2024 – equivalent in scale to approximately 15 per cent of GDP, according to a new report from the University of Sydney’s Mental Wealth Initiative.

‘The Value of Social Production in Australia Report' looked at the value unpaid contributions to the Australian economy such as childcare, care of sick and older adults, volunteering and charity work. 

It found that people outside the labour force alone generated an estimated A$128.3 billion in social production in 2024, despite being classified as economically inactive. 

Meanwhile, Australians aged 65 and over contributed an estimated A$48.0 billion, challenging assumptions about retirement as a transition from productive contribution to economic dependency.

Lead author Associate Professor Jo-An Occhipinti, Co-Director of the Mental Wealth Initiative and member of the Sydney School of Public Health, said:

“We measure paid work and market activity in great detail, but that is only part of our nation’s productive capacity. People contribute every day through volunteering, caring for others, informal mentoring, civic participation and supporting their communities through crises.

“With growing fiscal pressures, technological disruption, climate change and more frequent crises, we cannot afford to overlook the unpaid work that supports our economy, social cohesion and environment. Without these contributions, even greater pressure would fall on already stretched public services and finances.”

Those with disability contributed an estimated A$82.2 billion. Australians born overseas accounted for A$134.2 billion – roughly one-third of the national measured total. 

Professor John Buchanan, Co-Director of the Mental Wealth Initiative and Professor at the University of Sydney Business School, said recognising the value of social production also means paying attention to the conditions that enable people to contribute.

“Volunteering, informal mentoring and community participation depend on people having the time, resources and opportunities to get involved. Employment conditions, working hours, the cost of living, and mental health all influence that capacity. As households come under greater financial pressure, we risk losing an important source of national productivity.”

Lucy Turnbull AO, businesswoman, philanthropist, former Chief Commissioner of the Greater Sydney Commission and a member of the Mental Wealth Initiative's Expert Advisory Panel, said the findings also had implications for how communities are planned and supported.

“We often think about infrastructure in terms of roads, rail and major developments. But sporting and cultural facilities, community hubs and shared public spaces are just as important to the life of a community,” she said.

"They create opportunities for people to connect, participate and support one another. Good planning recognises that these are essential ingredients of successful, thriving communities that foster a sense of belonging.”