CX research has focused on recruiting a broad and diverse range of participants. This page includes research participant figures and percentages for demographic information, financial literacy, energy literacy, digital use and CDR behavioural archetypes.
Approach
A broad and diverse range of participants were recruited to help reduce bias and research out risk. A ‘no edge cases’ approach has been taken; deeming certain groups and needs as not important is antithetical to the design of an inclusive Consumer Data Right (CDR). Instead of focusing on those who are already likely and able to adopt CDR, the research focuses on removing the barriers to CDR being inclusive and accessible, which will make CDR easier and simpler to access for everyone.
The recruitment process strives to reflect the demographic percentages outlined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), and explicitly includes those who may be experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage.
Demographic information
Age group
We ask participants to indicate their age group.
We collect and use this information to recruit a diverse representation of Australia's population.
Age group | Related population group | # of participants | % of participants | % of Australian population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
18–24* | Young adult | 97 | 10.1% | 6.7% |
25–34 | Middle adulthood | 203 | 21.2% | 14.9% |
35–44 | Middle adulthood | 229 | 24% | 13.4% |
45–54 | Older adulthood to average retirement | 132 | 13.8% | 12.6% |
55–64 | Older adulthood to average retirement | 151 | 15.8% | 11.6% |
65–74 | Retirement | 102 | 10.7% | 9.2% |
75 and over | Retirement | 42 | 4.4% | 7.1% |
Table 1 values are attributed to ABS Age Standard and ABS Population estimates by age and sex.
Location
We ask participants to indicate their state or territory, area and postcode.
We collect and use this information to recruit a diverse representation of Australia's population.
State or territory | # of participants | % of participants | % of Australian population |
|---|---|---|---|
New South Wales | 240 | 25.1% | 31.8% |
Victoria | 202 | 21.1% | 25.9% |
Queensland | 204 | 21.3% | 20.2% |
South Australia | 109 | 11.4% | 6.9% |
Western Australia | 87 | 9.1% | 10.4% |
Tasmania | 33 | 3.5% | 2.1% |
Northern Territory | 19 | 2% | 1% |
Australian Capital Territory | 62 | 6.5% | 1.7% |
Table 2 values are attributed to ABS State and territories population.
Statistical Area (aggregated) | Related cohort | # of participants | % of participants | % of Australian population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Greater Capital City | • Metropolitan or inner city; • Suburban or outer city | 720 | 75.3% | 67.7% |
Rest of State or Territory | • Rural; • Large town; • Small or remote town | 236 | 24.7% | 32.3% |
Table 3 values are attributed to ABS Greater Capital City Statistical Area.
Gender
We ask participants to indicate their gender identity, expression and experience as a man, woman or non-binary person.
The terms sex and gender are interrelated and often used interchangeably, however they are two distinct concepts. ABS population estimates by sex have used as a baseline for participant recruitment.
We collect and use this information to recruit a diverse representation of Australia's population.
Gender | # of participants | % of participants | % of Australian population |
|---|---|---|---|
Man | 448 | 46.9% | 49.6% |
Woman | 486 | 50.8% | 50.4% |
Non-binary or gender fluid | 20 | 2.1% | 0% |
Different term | 1 | 0.1% | 0% |
Undisclosed | 1 | 0.1% | 0% |
Table 4 values are attributed to ABS Standard for Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables and ABS Population estimates by age and sex.
Background identity
We ask participants to indicate their cultural identity, accessibly needs and/or sexual orientation. We infer that these characteristics may impact a person's wellbeing and social experiences, access to employment, education and other services.
We collect and use this information to recruit a diverse representation of Australia's population.
Population characteristic | Related cohort | # of participants | % of participants | % of Australian population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Migrants living in Australia who were born overseas | I migrated to Australia from another country | 255 | 27.6% | 29.8% |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians | I am of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent | 55 | 6% | 3.3% |
Accessibility needs (any limitation, restriction or impairment which restricts everyday activities and has lasted, or is likely to last, for at least six months) | I have accessibility needs | 74 | 8% | 17.7% |
Sexual orientation (described themselves as being gay, lesbian or bisexual) | I am LGBTQI+ | 118 | 12.8% | 4% |
Table 5 values are attributed to multiple datasets; ABS Migration, Australia, ABS Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, ABS Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia [10] and ABS General Social Survey: Summary Results, Australia.
Household
We ask participants to indicate their household and family situation to infer factors that may influence financial decisions.
We collect and use this information to recruit a diverse representation of Australia's population.
Households, families and persons | # of participants | % of participants | % of Australian population |
|---|---|---|---|
Lone person household | 88 | 11.6% | 9.1% |
Group households and Other families (e.g. adult siblings only) | 67 | 8.8% | 3.7% |
Couple families with no children | 179 | 23.6% | 24.2% |
Couple families with dependant children | 261 | 34.4% | 43.7% |
One parent families with dependant and non-dependant children | 65 | 8.6% | 10.9% |
Couple families with non-dependant children | 63 | 8.3% | 7.7% |
Table 6 values are attributed to ABS Family characteristics and transitions.
Financial stress
We ask participants to indicate their household's financial situation. Financial stress experienced by households is measured through a range of indicators including: the inability to raise $2,000 for something important, whether a household has experienced a cash flow problem in the last 12 months and whether a household took a dissaving action in the last 12 months. This follows methodology used in ABS General Social Survey.
We collect and use this information to recruit a diverse representation of Australia's population.
Cohort | # of participants | % of participants | Proportion of households (average) |
|---|---|---|---|
Not experienced financial stress | 482 | 59.8% | 79.1% |
Experienced financial stress | 328 | 40.7% | 20.8% |
Table 7 values are attributed to ABS General Social Survey: Summary Results, Australia and ABS General Social Survey: Summary Results, Australia methodology.
Employment status
We ask participants to indicate their employment type to infer factors that may influence financial decisions.
We collect and use this information to recruit a diverse representation of Australia's population.
Potential workers | Related cohort | # of participants | % of participants | % of Australians 15+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Employed | • Employed by a company (full-time or part-time); • Self-employed as a sole trader, freelancer or contractor; • Self-employed with a small business that employs other people | 570 | 77.1% | 62.8% |
Not employed | • Unemployed; • Permanently unable to work; • Temporarily not working but has a job to go to, or return to; • Retired | 174 | 23.5% | 37.2% |
Table 8 values are for the population who were 15 years or over and attributed to ABS Potential workers.
Financial sector
We ask participants to indicate the types of accounts they hold as well as their relationship with other account holders. Experience with the financial sector is measured through a range of indicators including: bill comprehension, frequency of interactions, variety of interactions, and use of additional products or services. We infer that these factors may influence a person's comprehension of data language and likelihood to use the CDR.
We collect and use this information to recruit a diverse representation of Australia's population.
Level of financial literacy | # of participants | % of participants |
|---|---|---|
Low financial literacy | 23 | 19.3% |
Medium financial literacy | 32 | 26.9% |
High financial literacy | 64 | 53.8% |
Energy sector
We ask participants to indicate the types of accounts they hold as well as energy retailer. Experience with the energy sector is measured through a range of indicators including: bill comprehension, frequency of interactions, variety of interactions, and use of additional products or services. We infer that these indicators may influence a person's comprehension of data language and likelihood to use the CDR.
We collect and use this information to recruit a diverse representation of Australia's population.
Level of energy literacy | # of participants | % of participants |
|---|---|---|
Low energy literacy | 65 | 33.9% |
Medium energy literacy | 11 | 5.7% |
High energy literacy | 116 | 60.4% |
Digital use
We ask participants to indicate their Digital Ability and importance of privacy when choosing a digital service. We infer that these factors may influence a person's propensity to share data and likelihood to use the CDR.
We collect and use this information to recruit a diverse representation of Australia's population.
Digital ability
Digital ability captures both the confidence with which we use the internet and associated technologies, and the extent to which they are integrated into our lives.
Digital ability is measured based on Attitudes, Basic Skills, and Activities. This follows methodology used in Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII) Single Source survey.
Level of digital ability | # of participants | % of participants |
|---|---|---|
Low digital ability | 12 | 2.9% |
Medium digital ability | 56 | 13.7% |
High digital ability | 342 | 83.4% |
Importance of privacy when choosing a digital service
Concerns around privacy of information are even more prevalent in the digital space. Importance of privacy is based on a scale of "Not important" to "Extremely important". This follows methodology used in Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) Australian Community Attitudes to Privacy Survey (ACAPS).
Level of privacy importance | Related cohort | # of participants | % of participants | % of Australians 18+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Low privacy importance | • Don’t know; • Not important | 42 | 4.9% | 5% |
Medium privacy importance | Quite important | 214 | 25.1% | 26% |
High privacy importance | • Very important; • Extremely important | 597 | 70.1% | 70% |
Table 12 values are for the population who were 18 years or over and attributed to OAIC ACAPS.
CDR behavioural archetypes
User archetypes are useful tools to segment and succinctly describe the different drivers, behaviours and needs observed throughout research. CDR behavioural archetypes are representations of actions and general attitudes toward data sharing.
Participants were given questions to assess their attitude towards the CDR process and proposed use case.
Participants complete survey questions to self-assess their attitudes towards data sharing, privacy, general trust in Government and Industry, as well as digital adoption habits. Participant responses are used to assign them to one of the 4 CDR behavioural archetypes.
Archetype | Description | # of participants | % of participants |
|---|---|---|---|
Sceptic |
| 87 | 21.2% |
Assurance seeker |
| 199 | 48.5% |
Sensemaker |
| 117 | 28.5% |
Enthusiast |
| 17 | 4.1% |
Further information about our approach, descriptions and design rationale can be found on Behavioural archetypes.
About this page
References
Title | Author | Date published | URL | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Age Standard, Underlying concepts | Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) | March 11, 2014 | abs.gov.au | Other |
Family characteristics and transitions, Family characteristics, Families | Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) | February 26, 2015 | abs.gov.au | Other |
ABS.Stat Beta, ERP by SA2 and above (ASGS 2016), 2001 onwards | Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) | January 1, 2016 | stat.data.abs.gov.au | Other |
Language Standards | Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) | August 3, 2016 | abs.gov.au | Other |
Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians | Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) | August 31, 2018 | abs.gov.au | Other |
Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings | Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) | October 24, 2019 | abs.gov.au | Other |
Measuring Australia's Digital Divide 2020 | Australian Digital Inclusion Index | January 1, 2020 | digitalinclusionindex.org.au | Other |
Vulnerable persons or people | Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission | January 1, 2021 | www.acnc.gov.au | Other |
Standard for Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables | Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) | January 14, 2021 | abs.gov.au | Other |
Migration, Australia, Key findings | Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) | April 23, 2021 | abs.gov.au | Other |
General Social Survey: Summary Results, Australia | Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) | June 29, 2021 | abs.gov.au | Other |
General Social Survey: Summary Results, Australia methodology | Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) | June 29, 2021 | abs.gov.au | Other |
National, state and territory population, States and territories | Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) | July 7, 2021 | abs.gov.au | Other |
Potential workers | Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) | July 7, 2021 | abs.gov.au | Other |
Regional population by age and sex, Data cubes, Population estimates by age and sex, by SA2, 2020 | Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) | August 27, 2021 | abs.gov.au | Other |
Australian Community Attitudes to Privacy Survey 2023 | Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) | August 1, 2023 | oaic.gov.au | Other |
Last updated
This page was updated @September 12, 2025
Quick links to CX Guidelines:
Overview
Consent
Authenticate
Authorise
Consent Management
Notifications
Accessibility statement
→ cx@dsb.gov.au → cx.dsb.gov.au | cds.gov.au