RDP 9109: Estimates of Private Sector Wealth 6. Conclusion

This paper has provided quarterly estimates of private non-human wealth in Australia for the period between the March quarter 1980 and the June quarter 1990. These estimates were based on the methodology used by Piggott, although improvements were made in several areas.

Private wealth is estimated at $1,428 billion in June 1990. The estimates here suggest that the dwelling stock accounted for 52 per cent and business assets for 37 per cent of total private non-human wealth respectively. These proportions are, respectively, lower and higher than in some other estimates.

The paper also constructed an index of asset prices which showed that asset prices grew strongly between mid-1983 and end-1989. The index has since fallen by 7 per cent.