MALLEE Family Care (MFC) chief executive officer Teresa Jayet is calling for immediate action to address what she calls "shocking" data around poverty and inequality in Australia.

"We live in one of the wealthier countries in the world and nationally, we've had a period of sustained economic growth yet we have 3.24 million people living below the poverty line. 17.7 per cent of our country's children are growing up in poverty and this has a lifetime of impacts, both for the children and the broader community," Ms Jayet responding to the release of the 2020 Poverty in Australia Overview.