2.5 Million Australians Working in Public Sector Roles, Costing Taxpayers $232 Billion

The number of public servants in every state has increased between 2023 and 2024.

Office workers are seen at lunch break at Martin Place in Sydney, Australia Dec. 12, 2018. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

More than 2.5 million Australians work in government roles, costing the taxpayers $232 billion (US$150 billion), the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) revealed.

Separate ABS data shows that 14.5 million people are employed in Australia. This means more than 17 percent of Australians work in public service, which equates to nearly one in six Australians.