GDP per capita still exceeds that of other advanced OECD countries by almost 50%, but the gap has been narrowing in the wake of the global financial crisis. Both productivity growth and labour utilisation have remained flat, while structural unemployment slowly decreased.
Income inequality, as measured by the Gini coefficient, is below the OECD average. However, over the past few years disposable income has decreased for the poorest households. Greenhouse gas emissions per capita, while on a downward trend, are among the highest in the OECD.
Progress in addressing past priorities identified in Going for Growth has been achieved in the area of social benefit system with the ongoing reform of the minimum income scheme and the introduction in 2018 of additional benefits available to low income groups such as early childcare vouchers and expanded housing assistance.
Increased infrastructure investment would help to improve environmental outcomes and the quality of growth. Improvements in the education system and better access to lifelong learning would help to reduce skills mismatches, making growth more inclusive. More competition, especially in professional services and retail, would reinforce the diversification of the economy and medium-term improvements in productivity. Better land planning and stronger incentives to develop land available for construction would help meeting the increasing demand for housing.
