More feel poor as cost of living bites

There has been a surge in people feeling poor as living costs hit household budgets, a survey shows. (Sam Mooy/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

The proportion of Australians classifying themselves as poor has surged in the past 12 months as the rising cost of living erodes household budgets.

The percentage of people reporting some kind of financial hardship hit 37 per cent in 2022 compared to 31 per cent in 2021.