rom 0.866 to 0.939, an increase of 8.4%. Between 1990 and 2017, Australia’s life expectancy at birth increased by 6.2 years, mean years of schooling increased by 1.2 years and expected years of schooling increased by 5.5 years. Australia’s GNI per capita increased by about 56.7% between 1990 and 2017. Australia’s three levels of government are collectively responsible for providing universal health care: federal; state and territory; and local. The federal government mainly provides funding and indirect support to the states and health professions, subsidizing primary care providers through the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and providing funds for state services. It has only a limited role in direct service delivery, as proven in the stimulus, Australia keeps a steady increase in funds towards national health-care provided by the federal government. State Governments have the majority of responsibility for public hospitals, ambulance services, public dental care, community health services, and mental health care. They contribute their own funding in addition to that provided by federal government. Finally, Local governments play a role in the delivery of community health and preventive health programs, such as immunization and the regulation of food standards. Furthermore, while states and territories are responsible under the Australian Constitution for school education, the Australian Government plays an important role in providing national leadership across important policy areas, including quality teaching, boosting literacy and numeracy outcomes, and parental engagement. This is proven by Australia’s literacy rate (adult 15+) remaining stable at 99%, which contrasts only slightly to China’s adult literacy rate.

Thus, both China and Australia have incredibly prosperous economies however; can improve on some aspects of them for example, their carbon emissions. They are also very similar when it comes to increasing the levels of income and GDP of both countries. They are however different when it comes to levels of poverty and other HDI values (China’s HDI places them 86th and Australia’s places them at 3rd). Nevertheless, both countries are extremely fortunate and successful and have sustained a steady increase in gross domestic product throughout the past few decades.