Core economic health: growth, inflation, employment, and productivity.
Australia's current account balance each quarter: trade in goods and services, plus income and transfers, with the rest of the world. A deficit is normal for Australia.
ABS Consumer Price Index for electricity — the price households pay for electricity. Published as an index number (the ABS CPI reference period = 100), not a price in cents per kWh.
The total economic output of Australia divided by the population, adjusted for inflation. Shows average living standards over time.
Total monthly household spending across all categories in Australia, seasonally adjusted. Based on aggregated bank card transaction data from major Australian banks. Replaced the ABS Retail Trade publication (ceased June 2025).
The annual percentage change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) — how much more expensive goods and services are compared to a year ago.
The number of job vacancies in Australia each quarter: positions employers are actively trying to fill. A leading indicator of labour-market strength.
Annual percentage change in output per hour worked across the economy — how fast productivity is improving. Combines the old level index and growth rate into a single measure.
Total number of people employed in the manufacturing sector.
The share of people aged 15 and over who are either working or actively looking for work.
The ABS Producer Price Index for final demand: the prices domestic producers receive for their outputs. A leading indicator of consumer inflation.
The Reserve Bank’s target for the overnight cash rate — the interest rate that anchors mortgage and business lending — shown as the monthly average.
Nominal wage growth (Wage Price Index) minus the inflation rate (CPI). Shows whether wages are keeping up with prices — the single number that tells people if they're going forwards or backwards financially.
The Wage Price Index deflated by CPI, showing the purchasing power of wages over time. A value above 100 means wages have grown faster than prices since 2012; below 100 means they have fallen behind.
The monthly balance on trade in goods: goods exports minus goods imports. A positive figure is a surplus, a negative figure a deficit.
The percentage of employed people who want and are available for more hours of work than they currently have. Captures hidden labour market slack that the unemployment rate misses.
The percentage of people who are actively looking for work but cannot find it.
Growth in the ABS Wage Price Index: the change in hourly rates of pay for a fixed basket of jobs, year-ended. A clean read on what wages are doing, unaffected by shifts in the mix of jobs.
Unemployment rate for young Australians aged 15 to 24. Typically around double the headline unemployment rate.
