[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":683},["ShallowReactive",2],{"active-categories":3,"blowouts":28,"story-\u002Fstories\u002Faustralia-inflation-rate":83,"related-\u002Fstories\u002Faustralia-inflation-rate":643,"surround-\u002Fstories\u002Faustralia-inflation-rate":678},[4,6,8,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27],{"category":5},"follow-the-money",{"category":7},"cost-of-living",{"category":9},"government-waste",{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":7},{"category":7},{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":5},{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":7},{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":7},{"category":5},{"category":7},{"category":9},{"category":9},[29,39,49,58,66,75],{"path":30,"title":31,"category":9,"date":32,"blowout":33},"\u002Fstories\u002Fbom-website-96-million-one-year-on","One year on: the BOM website that cost $96.5 million, not $4 million","2026-10-24",{"project":34,"originalCost":35,"currentCost":36,"announced":37,"note":38},"BOM website",4100000,96500000,"2025","$4.1m was the figure first given to the public.",{"path":40,"title":41,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":43},"\u002Fstories\u002Fcross-river-rail-cost-blowout-19-billion","Cross River Rail was sold as a $5.4 billion project. The government now says it costs $19 billion","2026-10-25",{"project":44,"originalCost":45,"currentCost":46,"announced":47,"note":48},"Cross River Rail",5400000000,19041000000,"2017","Queensland Government figure (Oct 2025). It includes 25 years of tunnel maintenance and network works; Labor disputes counting them.",{"path":50,"title":51,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":52},"\u002Fstories\u002Fhunter-class-frigates-27-billion-three-ships","Hunter-class frigates: sold as nine warships for $35 billion. We're now paying $27 billion for three",{"project":53,"originalCost":54,"currentCost":55,"announced":56,"note":57},"Hunter-class frigates",35000000000,45600000000,"2018","2020 Force Structure Plan estimate for nine ships. The program is now six ships; close to $27bn is allocated for the first three, including the Osborne shipyard.",{"path":59,"title":60,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":61},"\u002Fstories\u002Finland-rail-cost-blowout-45-billion-parkes","Inland Rail was sold as a $10.7 billion project. It now costs $45.6 billion, and stops at Parkes",{"project":62,"originalCost":63,"currentCost":55,"announced":64,"note":65},"Inland Rail",10660000000,"2015","Both P90 estimates for the full Melbourne to Brisbane line. Only Beveridge to Parkes is now being built.",{"path":67,"title":68,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":69},"\u002Fstories\u002Fnorth-east-link-cost-blowout-26-billion","North East Link was sold as a $10 billion road. It now costs $26 billion",{"project":70,"originalCost":71,"currentCost":72,"announced":73,"note":74},"North East Link",10000000000,26100000000,"2016","Victoria's December 2023 estimate. Includes the Eastern Freeway and M80 upgrades added since.",{"path":76,"title":77,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":78},"\u002Fstories\u002Fsnowy-2-0-cost-blowout-25-billion","Snowy 2.0 was sold as a $2 billion project. It could now cost $25 billion",{"project":79,"originalCost":80,"currentCost":81,"announced":47,"note":82},"Snowy 2.0",2000000000,22200000000,"Target cost. Up to $25bn with contingency; transmission not included.",{"id":84,"title":85,"author":86,"bigNumber":87,"bigNumberLabel":88,"blowout":89,"body":90,"category":7,"date":587,"description":588,"draft":589,"extension":590,"featured":589,"focusKeywords":591,"image":596,"imageAlt":597,"meta":598,"navigation":599,"path":600,"people":601,"readingTime":602,"refresh":603,"seo":606,"shareImage":607,"sources":608,"stem":635,"tags":636,"updated":641,"__hash__":642},"stories\u002Fstories\u002Faustralia-inflation-rate.md","Australia's inflation rate climbs to 4.3%. Here's why","Aussie Outrage","4.3%","Australia's inflation rate, 12 months to September 2026",null,{"type":91,"value":92,"toc":572},"minimark",[93,101,105,118,123,128,131,138,144,151,170,181,184,194,200,207,211,218,238,241,245,256,265,272,276,287,294,297,307,312,315,318,485,490,494,497,500,504,513,517,520,527,531,534,548,551,555,558],[94,95,96,97,100],"p",{},"Australia's inflation rate is ",[98,99,87],"strong",{},". That's how much consumer prices rose in the 12 months to September 2026, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, up from 4.0% in the 12 months to August. A year earlier it was 3.6%, and in mid-2025 it had dropped close to 2%.",[102,103],"big-stat",{"label":88,"source":104,"value":87},"ABS Consumer Price Index, September 2026",[94,106,107,108,111,112,117],{},"The Reserve Bank's job is to keep inflation ",[98,109,110],{},"between 2 and 3 per cent",". It's now well above that, and the Reserve Bank has ",[113,114,116],"a",{"href":115},"\u002Fstories\u002Finterest-rate-rises-australia-2026","raised interest rates four times this year"," to try to bring it down.",[119,120],"slide-carousel",{":slides":121,"label":122},"[{\"src\":\"\u002Fcarousels\u002Faustralia-inflation-rate\u002F01.jpg\",\"alt\":\"Australia's inflation rate was 4.3% in the 12 months to September 2026. A Brisbane service station price board showing unleaded at 241.9 cents a litre\"},{\"src\":\"\u002Fcarousels\u002Faustralia-inflation-rate\u002F02.jpg\",\"alt\":\"Australia's inflation rate rose from 3.6% a year earlier to 4.3% in the 12 months to September 2026, above the Reserve Bank's 2 to 3 per cent target; the Reserve Bank raised rates four times in 2026, to 4.60% in September\"},{\"src\":\"\u002Fcarousels\u002Faustralia-inflation-rate\u002F03.jpg\",\"alt\":\"Petrol and diesel prices rose 23.6% and electricity 12.8% in the year to September 2026; the ABS says the electricity rise is largely due to Commonwealth electricity rebates ending, and September's fuel jump was driven by higher world oil prices\"},{\"src\":\"\u002Fcarousels\u002Faustralia-inflation-rate\u002F04.jpg\",\"alt\":\"Trimmed mean inflation, the Reserve Bank's preferred measure of underlying inflation, was 3.7% over the year to the September quarter of 2026 and rose 1.0% in that quarter alone, above the 3.3% the Reserve Bank forecast for December 2026\"},{\"src\":\"\u002Fcarousels\u002Faustralia-inflation-rate\u002F05.jpg\",\"alt\":\"Australia's inflation was 4.0% in the year to August 2026 against a G7 average of 3.1%, according to the OECD; leaving out food and energy it was 3.5%, higher than every G7 country, and the IMF forecasts 3.9% for 2026, higher than all but seven of 43 advanced economies\"},{\"src\":\"\u002Fcarousels\u002Faustralia-inflation-rate\u002F06.jpg\",\"alt\":\"Wages rose 3.2% over the year to the June quarter of 2026 while prices rose 3.9%; prices have risen 28.4% since the end of 2019, an Aussie Outrage calculation from the ABS consumer price index, so what cost $100 before COVID costs about $128 now\"},{\"src\":\"\u002Fcarousels\u002Faustralia-inflation-rate\u002F07.jpg\",\"alt\":\"Part of 2026's inflation rise was government relief ending: the power rebates paid part of the bill and households now pay all of it, and for August's 14.8% fuel price jump the ABS pointed to the end of the last federal fuel excise relief; the October CPI is released on 25 November 2026\"}]","Australia's inflation rate in 7 slides",[124,125,127],"h2",{"id":126},"why-australias-inflation-is-rising-again","Why Australia's inflation is rising again",[94,129,130],{},"The ABS breaks the price rises down by category. Over the 12 months to September 2026, petrol and electricity were the biggest rises in household bills, and the ABS puts the electricity rise down to government relief coming to an end.",[132,133],"bar-chart",{":data":134,"source":104,"subtitle":135,"suffix":136,"title":137},"[{\"label\":\"Petrol and diesel\",\"value\":23.6,\"highlight\":true},{\"label\":\"Electricity\",\"value\":12.8,\"highlight\":true},{\"label\":\"Council rates and charges\",\"value\":5.6},{\"label\":\"Insurance\",\"value\":5.4},{\"label\":\"New homes\",\"value\":4.7},{\"label\":\"All prices (inflation rate)\",\"value\":4.3},{\"label\":\"Meals out and takeaway\",\"value\":3.9},{\"label\":\"Rents\",\"value\":3.6},{\"label\":\"Food and non-alcoholic drinks\",\"value\":3.2}]","Price rise over the 12 months to September 2026","%","Petrol and power: the biggest rises",[94,139,140,143],{},[98,141,142],{},"Fuel: up almost a quarter in a year."," Petrol and diesel prices were up 23.6% in a year, and 9.4% in September alone, which the ABS says was \"driven by higher world oil prices\". That came on top of a 14.8% jump in August, when the ABS also pointed to the end of the last of the federal government's fuel excise relief.",[94,145,146],{},[147,148],"img",{"alt":149,"src":150},"A Shell service station in Tolland, Wagga Wagga, with its price board showing diesel at 299.9 cents a litre","\u002Fimages\u002Finflation-shell-tolland-wagga.jpg",[94,152,153],{},[154,155,156,157,163,164,169],"em",{},"Fuel prices in Tolland, Wagga Wagga, in March 2026. Photo: Bidgee, ",[113,158,162],{"href":159,"rel":160},"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-sa\u002F3.0\u002Fau\u002Fdeed.en",[161],"nofollow","CC BY-SA 3.0 AU",", via ",[113,165,168],{"href":166,"rel":167},"https:\u002F\u002Fcommons.wikimedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FFile:Shell_Tolland_petrol_station_in_March_2026.jpg",[161],"Wikimedia Commons",".",[94,171,172,175,176,180],{},[98,173,174],{},"Power bills: the rebates ended."," Electricity prices rose 12.8% in a year. In the ABS's words, the rise \"is largely due to the ending of Commonwealth electricity rebates over the year\". As we explained in ",[113,177,179],{"href":178},"\u002Fstories\u002Fpower-bills-rebates-ended-prices-falling","why power bills are bigger even though prices \"fell\"",", the rebates paid part of the bill rather than making power cheaper. Now that they're gone, households pay all of it, and the inflation figures show it.",[94,182,183],{},"The other side of that: while the relief was in place, it held measured prices down. So part of this year's rise is that relief unwinding, not prices suddenly getting worse.",[94,185,186,189,190,169],{},[98,187,188],{},"Council rates and insurance."," Council rates and charges rose 5.6%, which the ABS says reflects higher general rates and \"increases in various levies and charges, such as waste disposal levies\". Insurance rose 5.4%: see ",[113,191,193],{"href":192},"\u002Fstories\u002Fcar-insurance-premiums-up-42-percent","why car insurance premiums are up 42%",[94,195,196,199],{},[98,197,198],{},"Housing."," The cost of new homes rose 4.7%, which the ABS says was builders \"raising base prices to pass through higher labour and materials costs\". Rents rose 3.6%, unchanged since May.",[94,201,202,203,169],{},"The Reserve Bank adds a bigger picture. When it raised rates in September, it said the conflict in the Middle East had broadened and that \"global energy prices are now much higher than had been assumed in the August forecasts\". It also said that \"AI-related demand is driving rapid growth in global prices for technology-related goods\", and that \"there remains pressure on domestic capacity\" in Australia. Not all of the energy squeeze is global, though: ",[113,204,206],{"href":205},"\u002Fstories\u002Feast-coast-gas-exported-australians-pay-more","Australians pay export prices for the gas left after three-quarters of east coast gas is shipped overseas",[124,208,210],{"id":209},"underlying-inflation-is-rising-too","Underlying inflation is rising too",[94,212,213,214,217],{},"Petrol prices swing a lot, so the Reserve Bank also watches ",[98,215,216],{},"trimmed mean"," inflation, which leaves out the biggest price rises and falls each period. It's the Reserve Bank's preferred measure of underlying inflation, and it's going the wrong way:",[219,220,221,228],"ul",{},[222,223,224,227],"li",{},[98,225,226],{},"Monthly:"," 3.6% in the 12 months to September, up from 3.5% in August.",[222,229,230,233,234,237],{},[98,231,232],{},"Quarterly:"," up ",[98,235,236],{},"1.0%"," in the September quarter alone, and 3.7% over the year, up from 0.8% and 3.6% in the June quarter.",[94,239,240],{},"In August, the Reserve Bank forecast that trimmed mean inflation would ease to 3.3% by December 2026. In the September quarter it was 3.7%, and rising.",[124,242,244],{"id":243},"australias-inflation-rate-by-year","Australia's inflation rate by year",[94,246,247,248,251,252,255],{},"According to the ABS's quarterly figures, inflation peaked at ",[98,249,250],{},"7.9%"," in the year to the December quarter of 2022, fell to ",[98,253,254],{},"2.1%"," by the June quarter of 2025, and has climbed back since.",[257,258],"line-chart",{":data":259,":decimals":260,"note":261,"source":262,"subtitle":263,"suffix":136,"title":264},"[{\"x\":\"2019-12\",\"y\":1.8},{\"x\":\"2020-03\",\"y\":2.2},{\"x\":\"2020-06\",\"y\":-0.3},{\"x\":\"2020-09\",\"y\":0.6},{\"x\":\"2020-12\",\"y\":0.9},{\"x\":\"2021-03\",\"y\":1.1},{\"x\":\"2021-06\",\"y\":3.8},{\"x\":\"2021-09\",\"y\":3.1},{\"x\":\"2021-12\",\"y\":3.5},{\"x\":\"2022-03\",\"y\":5.1},{\"x\":\"2022-06\",\"y\":6.2},{\"x\":\"2022-09\",\"y\":7.3},{\"x\":\"2022-12\",\"y\":7.9,\"label\":\"Peak: 7.9%\"},{\"x\":\"2023-03\",\"y\":7},{\"x\":\"2023-06\",\"y\":6},{\"x\":\"2023-09\",\"y\":5.3},{\"x\":\"2023-12\",\"y\":4.1},{\"x\":\"2024-03\",\"y\":3.6},{\"x\":\"2024-06\",\"y\":3.8},{\"x\":\"2024-09\",\"y\":2.9},{\"x\":\"2024-12\",\"y\":2.4},{\"x\":\"2025-03\",\"y\":2.4},{\"x\":\"2025-06\",\"y\":2.1,\"label\":\"2.1%\",\"position\":\"below\"},{\"x\":\"2025-09\",\"y\":3.2},{\"x\":\"2025-12\",\"y\":3.6},{\"x\":\"2026-03\",\"y\":4.1},{\"x\":\"2026-06\",\"y\":3.9},{\"x\":\"2026-09\",\"y\":3.9,\"label\":\"Sept 2026: 3.9%\"}]","1","Quarterly figures from the ABS, on its current monthly CPI basis, so some differ slightly from those first published. The ABS's monthly figure for September 2026 was 4.3%.","ABS Consumer Price Index, Table 17 (quarterly)","Australia's inflation rate: rise in consumer prices over the previous 12 months, each quarter","Inflation came down, then went back up",[94,266,267,268,271],{},"Since the end of 2019, prices have risen ",[98,269,270],{},"28.4%"," in total (an Aussie Outrage calculation from the ABS consumer price index: 80.70 in the December quarter of 2019, 103.64 in the September quarter of 2026). What cost $100 before COVID costs about $128 now.",[124,273,275],{"id":274},"australias-inflation-compared-to-other-countries","Australia's inflation compared to other countries",[94,277,278,279,282,283,286],{},"Australia's inflation is now high for a rich country. In August 2026, the latest month the OECD has compared, consumer prices in Australia rose ",[98,280,281],{},"4.0%"," over the year, against ",[98,284,285],{},"3.1%"," across the G7 economies and 3.2% in the euro area, according to the OECD's consumer prices release of 6 October 2026.",[132,288],{":data":289,"source":290,"subtitle":291,"suffix":136,"title":292,"note":293},"[{\"label\":\"New Zealand\",\"value\":4.1},{\"label\":\"Australia\",\"value\":4,\"highlight\":true},{\"label\":\"United States\",\"value\":3.4},{\"label\":\"United Kingdom\",\"value\":3.3},{\"label\":\"Euro area\",\"value\":3.2},{\"label\":\"G7 average\",\"value\":3.1},{\"label\":\"Canada\",\"value\":3},{\"label\":\"Japan\",\"value\":1.9}]","OECD, Consumer Prices, 6 October 2026 (Table 1)","Rise in consumer prices over the 12 months to August 2026","Australia's inflation is above the big rich economies","New Zealand's figure is for the year to the June quarter of 2026: it only measures prices quarterly. Euro area: harmonised index (HICP). Australia's September figure, from the ABS, is 4.3%.",[94,295,296],{},"Of the 38 OECD countries, seven had higher inflation than Australia in August 2026: Türkiye, Colombia, Lithuania, Iceland, Spain, Chile and New Zealand (June quarter for New Zealand), with Belgium level at 4.0% (an Aussie Outrage calculation from the OECD's table). The OECD average of 4.3% is pulled up by Türkiye, where prices rose 31.5%.",[94,298,299,300,303,304,306],{},"The International Monetary Fund expects the same in its forecasts. In its World Economic Outlook of October 2026, the IMF forecasts Australia's inflation to average ",[98,301,302],{},"3.9%"," in 2026, against ",[98,305,285],{}," for advanced economies as a whole. Of the 43 economies the IMF classes as advanced, only seven are forecast higher: Iceland, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, New Zealand and Andorra. For 2027 the IMF forecasts 3.1% for Australia, still above the top of the Reserve Bank's target, and 2.7% for advanced economies.",[308,309,311],"h3",{"id":310},"its-not-just-petrol","It's not just petrol",[94,313,314],{},"Energy prices jumped in most rich countries in 2026, and the OECD notes Australia was one of six countries where energy inflation rose by more than 5 percentage points in August alone. Here, the ABS points to fuel excise relief and electricity rebates coming to an end. But across the G7, energy inflation was even higher, at 14.0%, according to the OECD.",[94,316,317],{},"What sets Australia apart is the rest of the shopping basket. Leave out food and energy, and prices in Australia rose 3.5% over the year to August 2026, according to the OECD's figures. That's higher than in every G7 country, and well above the G7's 2.3%. This fits what the Reserve Bank said in September: that \"there remains pressure on domestic capacity\".",[319,320,321,339],"table",{},[322,323,324],"thead",{},[325,326,327,330,333,336],"tr",{},[328,329],"th",{},[328,331,332],{},"Inflation, year to August 2026",[328,334,335],{},"Leaving out food and energy",[328,337,338],{},"Price rise since December 2019",[340,341,342,364,378,392,406,419,432,446,459,472],"tbody",{},[325,343,344,350,354,359],{},[345,346,347],"td",{},[98,348,349],{},"Australia",[345,351,352],{},[98,353,281],{},[345,355,356],{},[98,357,358],{},"3.5%",[345,360,361],{},[98,362,363],{},"28.0%",[325,365,366,369,372,375],{},[345,367,368],{},"New Zealand",[345,370,371],{},"4.1%",[345,373,374],{},"1.8%",[345,376,377],{},"31.5%",[325,379,380,383,386,389],{},[345,381,382],{},"United States",[345,384,385],{},"3.4%",[345,387,388],{},"2.4%",[345,390,391],{},"30.4%",[325,393,394,397,400,403],{},[345,395,396],{},"United Kingdom",[345,398,399],{},"3.3%",[345,401,402],{},"2.9%",[345,404,405],{},"32.2%",[325,407,408,411,414,416],{},[345,409,410],{},"Euro area",[345,412,413],{},"3.2%",[345,415,388],{},[345,417,418],{},"26.7%",[325,420,421,424,426,429],{},[345,422,423],{},"G7",[345,425,285],{},[345,427,428],{},"2.3%",[345,430,431],{},"26.9%",[325,433,434,437,440,443],{},[345,435,436],{},"Canada",[345,438,439],{},"3.0%",[345,441,442],{},"1.9%",[345,444,445],{},"24.5%",[325,447,448,451,453,456],{},[345,449,450],{},"Germany",[345,452,402],{},[345,454,455],{},"2.5%",[345,457,458],{},"25.3%",[325,460,461,464,466,469],{},[345,462,463],{},"France",[345,465,388],{},[345,467,468],{},"1.2%",[345,470,471],{},"19.1%",[325,473,474,477,479,482],{},[345,475,476],{},"Japan",[345,478,442],{},[345,480,481],{},"1.7%",[345,483,484],{},"13.9%",[94,486,487],{},[154,488,489],{},"Source: OECD, Consumer Prices, 6 October 2026, Table 1. New Zealand: June quarter 2026. Australia's \"since December 2019\" figure runs to the June quarter of 2026. The US figure without food and energy is an OECD estimate, and Australia's uses the ABS's own categories.",[308,491,493],{"id":492},"over-the-whole-period-australia-is-in-the-middle","Over the whole period, Australia is in the middle",[94,495,496],{},"The comparison since COVID looks different. Prices in Australia rose 28.0% from December 2019 to the June quarter of 2026, according to the OECD. That's close to the G7's 26.9% and less than in New Zealand (31.5%, also to June), the United States (30.4%) or the United Kingdom (32.2%), whose figures run two months longer, to August 2026.",[94,498,499],{},"In 2022, the worst year, Australian prices rose 6.6% on average, against 7.3% for advanced economies, 8.0% in the United States and 9.1% in the United Kingdom, according to the IMF. The difference is now: in 2026, Australia's inflation is higher than in most of them.",[124,501,503],{"id":502},"prices-vs-wages","Prices vs wages",[94,505,506,507,509,510,512],{},"Wages are rising more slowly than prices. The ABS Wage Price Index rose ",[98,508,413],{}," over the year to the June quarter of 2026, while prices rose ",[98,511,302],{}," over the same year. When prices rise faster than pay, the same pay packet buys less. The September quarter wage figures are due in mid-November; prices rose 3.9% over that quarter's year too.",[124,514,516],{"id":515},"inflation-and-interest-rates","Inflation and interest rates",[94,518,519],{},"High inflation is why the Reserve Bank keeps raising interest rates. It lifted the cash rate four times in 2026, to 4.60% in September, saying it \"will continue to do what it considers necessary to bring inflation sustainably back to target\". For people with a mortgage, that's a second hit on top of higher prices.",[94,521,522,523,169],{},"Higher rates reach the government too: the Reserve Bank noted in March and May that government bond yields had risen. See how much interest is paid on ",[113,524,526],{"href":525},"\u002Fdebt-clock","Australia's national debt",[124,528,530],{"id":529},"when-the-next-figures-come-out","When the next figures come out",[94,532,533],{},"The ABS publishes the consumer price index monthly, usually on the last Wednesday of the month, at 11:30am (Canberra time). The next releases are:",[219,535,536,542],{},[222,537,538,541],{},[98,539,540],{},"25 November 2026:"," October 2026",[222,543,544,547],{},[98,545,546],{},"6 January 2027:"," November 2026",[94,549,550],{},"From February 2027, the ABS will publish on the fourth Wednesday of each month instead. We update this page when each release comes out.",[552,553],"faq",{":items":554},"[{\"q\":\"What is Australia's inflation rate now?\",\"a\":\"Australia's inflation rate was 4.3% in the 12 months to September 2026, up from 4.0% in the 12 months to August, according to the ABS. Trimmed mean inflation, a measure of underlying inflation that leaves out the biggest price swings, was 3.6%.\"},{\"q\":\"Why is Australia's inflation so high?\",\"a\":\"In 2026 the biggest rises have been petrol and diesel (up 23.6% in the year to September) and electricity (up 12.8%). The ABS says the electricity rise is largely due to the end of Commonwealth electricity rebates, and that September's fuel jump was driven by higher world oil prices. Council rates (up 5.6%) and insurance (up 5.4%) also rose faster than prices overall.\"},{\"q\":\"Is inflation going down in Australia?\",\"a\":\"Not yet. Inflation rose from 3.5% in July 2026 to 4.0% in August and 4.3% in September. Underlying (trimmed mean) inflation rose 1.0% in the September quarter, and was 3.7% over the year, above the 3.3% the Reserve Bank had forecast for December 2026.\"},{\"q\":\"What is the RBA's inflation target?\",\"a\":\"The Reserve Bank's target is to keep annual consumer price inflation between 2 and 3 per cent. The Reserve Bank sets interest rates so that inflation is expected to return to the middle of that range, 2.5%.\"},{\"q\":\"When did Australia's inflation peak?\",\"a\":\"Inflation peaked at 7.9% in the year to the December quarter of 2022, based on the ABS's quarterly figures. It then fell to 2.1% by the June quarter of 2025 before rising again.\"},{\"q\":\"Is Australia's inflation high compared to other countries?\",\"a\":\"Yes. Australia's inflation was 4.0% in the year to August 2026, against 3.1% across the G7, 3.4% in the US and 3.3% in the UK, according to the OECD. The IMF forecasts 3.9% for Australia in 2026, higher than all but seven of 43 advanced economies.\"},{\"q\":\"How much has inflation increased since 2020 in Australia?\",\"a\":\"Prices rose 28.4% from the December quarter of 2019 to the September quarter of 2026, an Aussie Outrage calculation from the ABS consumer price index (80.70 to 103.64). Something that cost $100 at the end of 2019 costs about $128 now.\"},{\"q\":\"When is Australia's inflation data released?\",\"a\":\"The ABS releases the consumer price index monthly at 11:30am Canberra time, usually on the last Wednesday of the month (the fourth Wednesday from February 2027). The October 2026 figures come out on 25 November 2026 and the November figures on 6 January 2027.\"}]",[94,556,557],{},"Inflation isn't the weather. Part of this year's rise came from relief ending, a decision made in Canberra, and households are now paying the full cost at the bowser and in their power bills.",[94,559,560],{},[154,561,562,563,163,568,169],{},"Top photo: fuel prices at a service station in Brisbane, March 2026. Photo: Chris Olszewski, ",[113,564,567],{"href":565,"rel":566},"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-sa\u002F4.0",[161],"CC BY-SA 4.0",[113,569,168],{"href":570,"rel":571},"https:\u002F\u002Fcommons.wikimedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FFile:Oil_price_hikes_during_the_2026_Iran_war_in_March_2026,_Brisbane.jpg",[161],{"title":573,"searchDepth":574,"depth":575,"links":576},"",2,3,[577,578,579,580,584,585,586],{"id":126,"depth":574,"text":127},{"id":209,"depth":574,"text":210},{"id":243,"depth":574,"text":244},{"id":274,"depth":574,"text":275,"children":581},[582,583],{"id":310,"depth":575,"text":311},{"id":492,"depth":575,"text":493},{"id":502,"depth":574,"text":503},{"id":515,"depth":574,"text":516},{"id":529,"depth":574,"text":530},"2026-10-27","Australia's inflation rate rose to 4.3% in September 2026, up from 4.0%. Petrol, up 23.6% in a year, and power bills after the rebates ended led the rise.",false,"md",[592,593,594,595],"australia inflation rate","australia inflation","australia inflation 2026","australia inflation compared to other countries","\u002Fimages\u002Finflation-petrol-prices-brisbane.jpg","A United service station in Brisbane with its price board showing unleaded at 241.9 cents a litre and diesel at 295.9",{},true,"\u002Fstories\u002Faustralia-inflation-rate",[],13,{"next":604,"source":605},"2026-11-25","the ABS monthly CPI release",{"title":85,"description":588},"\u002Fcarousels\u002Faustralia-inflation-rate\u002F01.jpg",[609,612,614,617,620,623,626,629,632],{"title":610,"url":611},"ABS: Consumer Price Index, Australia, September 2026 (released 28 Oct 2026)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.abs.gov.au\u002Fstatistics\u002Feconomy\u002Fprice-indexes-and-inflation\u002Fconsumer-price-index-australia\u002Fsep-2026",{"title":613,"url":611},"ABS: Consumer Price Index, Australia, September 2026, Table 17 (quarterly index numbers) and Appendix 1a (quarterly trimmed mean)",{"title":615,"url":616},"ABS: Consumer Price Index, Australia, August 2026 (released 30 Sep 2026)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.abs.gov.au\u002Fstatistics\u002Feconomy\u002Fprice-indexes-and-inflation\u002Fconsumer-price-index-australia\u002Faug-2026",{"title":618,"url":619},"ABS: Wage Price Index, Australia, June 2026 (released 19 Aug 2026)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.abs.gov.au\u002Fstatistics\u002Feconomy\u002Fprice-indexes-and-inflation\u002Fwage-price-index-australia\u002Flatest-release",{"title":621,"url":622},"OECD: Consumer Prices, OECD (news release, 6 October 2026, reference period August 2026)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.oecd.org\u002Fcontent\u002Fdam\u002Foecd\u002Fen\u002Fdata\u002Finsights\u002Fstatistical-releases\u002F2026\u002F10\u002Fconsumer-prices-oecd-10-2026.pdf",{"title":624,"url":625},"IMF: World Economic Outlook, October 2026, Online Statistical Appendix, Table A6 (Advanced Economies: Consumer Prices)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.imf.org\u002F-\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fpublications\u002Fweo\u002F2026\u002Foctober\u002Fenglish\u002Ftablea.pdf",{"title":627,"url":628},"RBA: Australia's Inflation Target (explainer)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.rba.gov.au\u002Feducation\u002Fresources\u002Fexplainers\u002Faustralias-inflation-target.html",{"title":630,"url":631},"RBA: Statement by the Monetary Policy Board, 29 September 2026","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.rba.gov.au\u002Fmedia-releases\u002F2026\u002Fmr-26-27.html",{"title":633,"url":634},"RBA: Statement on Monetary Policy, August 2026, Outlook (Table 3.1)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.rba.gov.au\u002Fpublications\u002Fsmp\u002F2026\u002Faug\u002Foutlook.html","stories\u002Faustralia-inflation-rate",[637,7,638,639,640],"inflation","electricity","rebates","interest-rates","2026-10-30","3OKMlTJojWo_adOeejbpHfJMbHFvOY_jcrPfqxOnCK4",[644,653,662,671],{"path":192,"title":645,"description":646,"date":647,"category":7,"author":86,"image":648,"imageAlt":649,"bigNumber":650,"bigNumberLabel":651,"readingTime":652,"featured":589},"Car insurance premiums: up 42%, and insurers don't say why","Car insurance premiums in Australia rose 42% in five years and another 8% last year. ASIC found no insurer explained why. What's driving it and how to pay less.","2026-10-28","\u002Fimages\u002Fcar-insurance-eastern-freeway-traffic.jpg","Morning peak-hour traffic banked up on Melbourne's Eastern Freeway","42%","Rise in the average comprehensive car insurance premium from 2019 to 2024, before another 8% in 2024-25",8,{"path":654,"title":655,"description":656,"date":647,"category":7,"author":86,"image":657,"imageAlt":658,"bigNumber":659,"bigNumberLabel":660,"readingTime":661,"featured":589},"\u002Fstories\u002Fcoles-down-down-court-case-discounts-not-genuine","Coles Down Down court case: 13 of 14 discounts not genuine","The Coles Down Down court case: a judge found 13 of 14 discounts weren't genuine. No penalty until 2027, Woolworths awaits judgment, and profits are up.","\u002Fimages\u002Fcoles-aisle-trolley.jpg","A shopping trolley in a Coles supermarket aisle lined with stocked shelves and yellow price tickets","13 of 14","Coles 'Down Down' tickets the Federal Court found misleading, because the discount wasn't genuine",7,{"path":663,"title":664,"description":665,"date":647,"category":7,"author":86,"image":666,"imageAlt":667,"bigNumber":668,"bigNumberLabel":669,"readingTime":670,"featured":589},"\u002Fstories\u002Frent-prices-australia","Rent prices in Australia now take a record 34% of income","Rent prices in Australia: the median is $713 a week, renters pay a record 34% of income, and a full-time minimum wage worker can afford 0.5% of listings.","\u002Fimages\u002Frent-paddington-terraces.jpg","A row of terrace houses on a leafy street at Fiveways, Paddington, in Sydney","34%","Share of pre-tax income the typical renting household spent on rent in June 2026, the highest on record",6,{"path":115,"title":672,"description":673,"date":587,"category":7,"author":86,"image":674,"imageAlt":675,"bigNumber":676,"bigNumberLabel":677,"readingTime":652,"featured":589},"Interest rate rises in Australia: four in 2026, and the cost","Every RBA interest rate rise in Australia in 2026, why the Reserve Bank raised rates to 4.60%, and what they add to a typical mortgage: about $470 a month.","\u002Fimages\u002Frba-building-sydney.jpg","The upper floors of the Reserve Bank of Australia's office tower in Sydney","$470","Extra a month on the average new home loan after four interest rate rises in 2026",[679,681],{"title":664,"path":663,"stem":680,"description":665,"children":-1},"stories\u002Frent-prices-australia",{"title":672,"path":115,"stem":682,"description":673,"children":-1},"stories\u002Finterest-rate-rises-australia-2026",1793586230219]