The Cost of Our Living: Economic and Social Justice for the Common Good invites Australians to reflect deeply on the growing cost-of-living crisis and to respond with faith, hope and love.
Across Australia, many of our sisters and brothers are burdened by the rising cost of life’s necessities. For some, this means skipping meals, delaying medical care, or living without secure housing. These are not just economic statistics, but human stories of struggle and resilience. As disciples of Jesus, we cannot turn away from these realities. The Gospel calls us to see Christ in those who suffer and to walk alongside them with compassion.
This Social Justice Statement, released by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference in February 2026, seeks to name the reality of hardship being experienced in households and communities across the country. Drawing on lived experience, research and national data, it highlights the scale of financial stress facing many Australians and the disproportionate impact on those already vulnerable, including people on low incomes, families with children, First Nations communities, refugees, older Australians and those in insecure work.
At the heart of the Statement is the Church’s social tradition. Principles such as the dignity of every human person, the common good, solidarity, subsidiarity and the preferential option for the poor are offered not as abstract ideals, but as practical guides for responding to the crisis in ways that uphold human dignity and promote justice. These principles challenge economic and political systems that allow some to flourish while others are left behind, and they call for shared responsibility across governments, businesses, communities and individuals.
This Statement is an invitation to listen and to act. It points to the vital work already being carried out by Catholic agencies and community organisations, while also affirming that the response to the cost-of-living crisis cannot be left to charities alone. All of us have a role to play through supporting those in need, advocating for fairer policies, fostering just workplaces, and building communities where no one is forgotten.
In a wealthy country like Australia, it seems inconceivable that there should be so much hardship. Many of us cannot see a way out of the cost-of-living crisis. This must change. Australia needs to learn to hope again. The Statement calls us to become prophets of hope, not only by what we say, but by what we do and the way we do it, so that together we may help build a more compassionate, resilient and fairer nation where all can live with dignity.