Pressure is mounting on the federal government to hike Newstart payments to the unemployed. But an analysis of the unemployment benefits around the world shows Australia isn’t necessarily a terrible place to be out of work.

A single person in Australia who is “looking for paid work” (Centrelink’s euphemistic term for unemployment) is entitled to up to $492.60 a fortnight and could also qualify for $121 in rent assistance a fortnight.

Even the full Newstart allowance combined with rent assistance is $167.40 a week below the poverty line, which is updated quarterly by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research.