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Where do my taxes go in Australia? (2024–25)

See where Australian tax dollars go: the biggest Australian Government spending lines in 2024–25, as a share of every $1,000, plus the weirdest things taxes paid for.

🇦🇺 Australia · 2024–25

In 2024–25, the Australian Government spent about A$770.1 billion. The single biggest line was Social security and welfare: A$285.5 billion, or about $371 of every $1,000 it spent.

See your personal tax receipt →

The biggest spending lines

  • Social security and welfareA$285.5 billion · $371 per $1,000

    Pensions, the NDIS, family payments and more. Your wallet has a lot of dependants.

  • HealthA$132.2 billion · $172 per $1,000

    Medicare and hospitals. Your bad back is still on the waitlist.

  • General revenue assistance to states and territoriesA$97.3 billion · $126 per $1,000

    Mostly GST handed to the states. Your money crossed a border without a passport.

  • EducationA$50.9 billion · $66 per $1,000

    Schools and universities. Your HECS debt says hello.

  • DefenceA$47.8 billion · $62 per $1,000

    Ships, jets and submarines. Some of which actually exist.

  • General public servicesA$32.9 billion · $43 per $1,000

    Running the government. Somebody has to buy the printer toner.

  • Public debt interestA$23.9 billion · $31 per $1,000

    Interest on the national credit card. No points, sadly.

  • Transport and communicationA$16.2 billion · $21 per $1,000

    Roads, rail and the internet. Mind the potholes.

These 8 lines add up to 89% of total spending. The rest is spread across smaller programs.

Source: Australian Government Final Budget Outcome 2024–25, Table A.1 (general government expenses by function) ↗

And the weird stuff

Big budget lines are dull. These real Australian examples are not.

See all 4 examples of government waste in Australia →

Quick answers

Where do most Australian taxes go?

The biggest single line in 2024–25 was Social security and welfare, at about 37% of Australian Government spending.

How much of Australia’s spending goes to interest on debt?

About A$23.9 billion in 2024–25, or roughly $31 of every $1,000 spent.

How much does Australia spend on defence?

About A$47.8 billion in 2024–25, roughly 6.2% of total spending.

Does my tax pay for one specific thing?

No. Taxes go into a general pool. These figures show how total spending is divided, so they work as an illustration of your share, not a literal receipt.

Other countries

🇨🇦 Where do taxes go in Canada?🇺🇸 Where do taxes go in the US?🇬🇧 Where do taxes go in the UK?🇳🇿 Where do taxes go in New Zealand?