Australia · data to Aug 2026
How's inflation?
Bad.
Prices are rising 4.0% a year, well outside the Reserve Bank's target band, so your money buys noticeably less.
For context: 4.0% is higher than 64% of all 425 figures since 1923.
Prices, year on year
Annual change in consumer prices, against the Reserve Bank's target band
The strip under the chart shows the verdict each period would get by today's rules:Good Mixed Bad
See the latest numbers
| Period | Value | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | 4.0% | Bad |
| Jul 2026 | 3.5% | Mixed |
| Jun 2026 | 3.8% | Mixed |
| May 2026 | 4.0% | Bad |
| Apr 2026 | 4.2% | Bad |
| Mar 2026 | 4.6% | Bad |
| Feb 2026 | 3.7% | Mixed |
| Jan 2026 | 3.8% | Mixed |
| Dec 2025 | 3.8% | Mixed |
| Nov 2025 | 3.4% | Mixed |
| Oct 2025 | 3.8% | Mixed |
| Sep 2025 | 3.6% | Mixed |
Source: ABS, Consumer Price Index, Australia (monthly); RBA table G1 for history · Series ABS CPI 3.10001.10.50.M; RBA GCPIAGYP · Latest Aug 2026
How we judged this
What we test: The latest figure (prices, year on year). Right now that's 4.0%.
- Good if from 2.0% to under 3.0%
- Mixed if from 1.0% to under 2.0%
- Mixed if from 3.0% to under 4.0%
- Bad if anything the rules above don’t coverapplies now
Rules are checked from the top. The first one that fits decides the verdict.
About this data
- Measure
- Prices, year on year
- Latest
- 4.0% (Aug 2026)
- Published
- Monthly, by ABS
- Verdict counts for
- Equal weight with the others in the overall verdict
Inflation is how fast prices are rising. A little is normal and healthy. A lot means your pay and savings buy less each year.
From April 2025 this is the ABS's monthly CPI, its headline inflation measure since late 2025. Earlier figures are the quarterly CPI, so the line is smoother before then.