Australia breaks $93 billion dollar dividend pay-out record

The global pandemic may have caused widespread disruption, but it couldn't stop Australia's dividends from bouncing back. Australian companies have now broken their previous 12-month record pay-out of $93 billion, set in September 2019.

This impressive rebound is thanks in part to an 81.7% increase in dividends paid out, compared to the equivalent period ending March 2021.

The rest of the world has had a more modest increase of 13.6% over the same time period.

With seven out of 50 tracked nations surpassing their pre-pandemic dividend highs, it's clear that Australia led the charge in dividend recovery.

Banking and mining stocks have once again become the biggest dividend payers in Australia.

This is a significant turnaround from 2020 when these companies were forced to halt their dividend payments due to regulatory constraints. Over the last 12 months, mining companies have paid one dollar for every two paid by Australian companies.

Jane Shoemake, (May 24, 2022), “Global dividends break first quarter record in post-pandemic surge”