86.8 Overall Score (up 5.4 since Aug 1st.)

Australia

  • 67.7 Public Health
    Directives
  • 87.2 Financial
    Response
  • 100 Fact-Based
    Communication
  • 67.7 Public Health
    Directives
  • 87.2 Financial
    Response
  • 100 Fact-Based
    Communication

Australia is a strong performer, particularly due to a generous financial response by way of income support, but delayed implementation of its policies pulls down its score.

Pre-COVID Conditions

Australia had relatively strong pre-pandemic capacity, given its minimal debt, a healthy population, relatively strong GDP per capita, and widespread healthcare access.

  • Debt/GDP ratio 41.4%
  • GDP/capita $54,799
  • Gini coefficient (out of 100) 34.4
  • Infant mortality rate (out of 1,000 live births) 3
  • Healthcare access score (out of 100) 89.8
  • Hospital beds/1,000 People 27

Government Response

Select a data point for more information
(Data points represent policy level as of Jan 1.)
67.7

Public Health Directives

Australia has a relatively robust public health policy, driven by very strong contact tracing and travel restrictions, though limited emergency healthcare funds, relaxed stay-at-home policy, and limited testing pull its score down.

  • Stay at home order 2
  • Public gathering restrictions 4
  • School closings 1
  • Public event cancellations 2
  • Testing policy 3
  • Emergency healthcare investments/capita $72.96
  • Travel restrictions 3
  • Tests/1,000 people 441.6
  • Contact tracing 2
87.2

Financial Response

Australia’s financial response has been generous, including income support for workers and debt forgiveness, even though its overall stimulus was moderate.

  • Financial stimulus as share of GDP 16.8%
  • Income support 1
  • Debt forebearance 2
100

Fact-Based Communication

Australia’s leadership has maintained regular, fact-based communication with the public.

  • Reliance on science/fact based information 0
  • Press freedom 0

COVID-19 Status as of Jan 1

Australia has maintained one of the lowest death and case rates in the Index, despite its aging population.

  • Total deaths 909
  • Death rate per 100K 35.6
  • Total cases 28,460
  • Cases per 100K 1,116
  • Percent of positive tests 0
  • Change in positivity rates 0
Case Trend Line
Daily cases No Lockdown Enforced Level 1 Lockdown Level 2 Lockdown Level 3 Lockdown

Differentiating Factors

Compared with Other Asia Pacific Island Nations
  • 79.6
    Japan 239,068
    Cases
    1,890
    Per 1M
    3,342
    Deaths

    Japan has a strong overall score, driven by its generous financial response and a reliance on facts, although its public health policy is very weak.

  • 53.5
    Indonesia 751,270
    Cases
    2,747
    Per 1M
    22,329
    Deaths

    Indonesia scores relatively weakly, a big drop in the past few months, keyed by substantial weakening of travel restrictions, testing policy, and debt relief.

  • 79.1
    Taiwan 802
    Cases
    34
    Per 1M
    7
    Deaths

    Taiwan has a relatively strong policy score, but its minimal stimulus and weak debt relief bring it down. However, the data does not accurately measure its advanced contact tracing, which may have diminished the need for more restrictions; this likely results in a score that underestimates Taiwan’s response.

  • 88.5
    New Zealand 2,162
    Cases
    448
    Per 1M
    25
    Deaths

    New Zealand has had very strong policy, particularly with regard to its reliance on science and facts and its relatively strong financial response.

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New Zealand

Statistics and government response factors available on each country profile include:

Pre-COVID Conditions:

  • Debt to GDP ratio
  • Infant mortality rates
  • Hospital beds per 1,000 people
  • Gini coefficients measuring inequality
  • Health access and quality

COVID-19 Public Health Directives:

  • Stay-at home orders
  • School-closing policy
  • Public-gathering restrictions
  • Cancellation of public events
  • Testing policy and rates per 1,000 people
  • Emergency healthcare spending per capita
  • Travel restrictions
  • Contact tracing

COVID-19 Financial Response:

  • Stimulus package as a share of GDP
  • Income support
  • Debt-forbearance

Public Communications:

  • Instances of misinformation by leadership
  • Limitations on press freedom, censorship

Current/Historic In-Country COVID-19 Status:

  • Death rates per 1 million
  • Case rates per 1 million