Consumer Price Index, Australia

Latest release

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures household inflation and includes statistics about price change for categories of household expenditure.

Reference period
October 2025
Released
26/11/2025
  • Next Release 7/01/2026
    Consumer Price Index, Australia, November 2025
  • Next Release 28/01/2026
    Consumer Price Index, Australia, December 2025
  • Next Release 25/02/2026
    Consumer Price Index, Australia, January 2026
  • View all releases
Release date and time
26/11/2025 11:30am AEDT

Key statistics

  • The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.8% in the 12 months to October 2025, up from 3.6% in the 12 months to September 2025.
  • The largest contributors to annual inflation were Housing (+5.9%), Food and non-alcoholic beverages (+3.2%), and Recreation and culture (+3.2%).
  • In the month of October, the CPI was flat (0.0%) in original terms and rose 0.3% in seasonally adjusted terms.
  • Trimmed mean inflation was 3.3% in the 12 months to October 2025, up from 3.2% in the 12 months to September 2025.

What's new this month

Complete monthly measure of the CPI

This publication is the first release of the complete Monthly CPI. This marks the transition from the quarterly CPI to the complete Monthly CPI as Australia’s primary measure of headline inflation. 

Further details on the complete Monthly CPI are provided here.

Quarterly data

The latest quarterly CPI publication for the September 2025 quarter can be found here

The ABS will continue to produce a quarterly CPI data series (calculated as the average of the three relevant Monthly CPIs) to support those needing quarterly CPI figures for indexation, contract or other purposes. The previously published quarterly index will be re-referenced and aligned to the new monthly series. September 2025 will serve as the link period where the index will equal 100.0. The re-referenced quarterly indexes will be published for the first time in the December 2025 CPI release, scheduled for publication on Wednesday, 28 January 2026. Following that publication, quarterly tables will be included in every monthly publication going forward. New quarterly data will be available in every third monthly publication (i.e., March, June, September and December).

The CPI’s new monthly time series

An information paper Introducing the Consumer Price Indexes’ new monthly time series was released on 18 November 2025. It provides an overview of the complete Monthly CPI data from April 2024 – June 2025 and includes insights into new trends in the data and details of new data sources that will underpin some indexes. The paper also provides further information about the approach that the ABS will take to seasonally adjust the short time series in the complete Monthly CPI. 

To further support users the ABS has published a paper today that extends this analysis to cover the new monthly Trimmed mean index and data to October 2025.

Updates to the CPI Concepts, Sources and Methods and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The CPI Concepts, Sources and Methods and CPI FAQs have been updated to reflect the transition to the complete Monthly CPI. 

Main features

 

Weighted average of eight capital cities
  OriginalSeasonally adjusted
Weighted average of eight capital citiesSept 25 to Oct 25
(% change)
Oct 24 to Oct 25
(% change)
Sept 25 to Oct 25
(% change)
Oct 24 to Oct 25
(% change)
All groups CPI0.03.80.33.9
 Food and non-alcoholic beverages0.23.20.33.2
 Alcohol and tobacco0.04.4-0.54.4
 Clothing and footwear2.25.40.55.8
 Housing-0.85.9-0.46.0
 Furnishings, household equipment and services0.72.10.92.0
 Health0.04.00.24.0
 Transport0.32.70.32.7
 Communication-0.20.8-0.10.8
 Recreation and culture-0.23.21.73.4
 Education0.05.40.45.4
 Insurance and financial services0.22.50.42.5
CPI analytical series    
 All groups CPI, seasonally adjusted  0.33.9
 Trimmed mean  0.33.3
 Weighted median  0.33.4

This chart shows the annual contributions of the individual components summing to the total CPI annual movement. Any differences in the sum of the individual components and the total are due to rounding.

  1. 'Other' includes Clothing and footwear, Furnishings, household equipment and services, Communication and Insurance and financial services

The following table shows the weight, annual movement and contribution of each Group to the All groups CPI annual movement. The contribution is a combination of the Group’s weight and annual movement. The sum of all the Group contributions equal the CPI annual movement.

Weighted average of eight capital citiesWeight 
(%)
October 2025 annual movement 
(% change)
October 2025 contribution to total CPI
 (percentage points)
All groups CPI100.03.83.8
Food and non-alcoholic beverages17.43.20.5610
Alcohol and tobacco6.54.40.2919
Clothing and footwear3.25.40.1757
Housing21.45.91.2485
Furnishings, household equipment and services7.92.10.1628
Health6.74.00.2749
Transport11.52.70.3041
Communication2.10.80.0162
Recreation and culture13.13.20.3926
Education4.75.40.2528
Insurance and financial services5.62.50.1381

 

Overview

Annual inflation increased for both the CPI and Trimmed mean in October

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation was 3.8 per cent in the 12 months to October 2025, up from 3.6 per cent in the 12 months to September 2025.

Trimmed mean inflation was 3.3 per cent in the 12 months to October 2025, up from 3.2 per cent in the 12 months to September 2025.

  1. Annual movements prior to April 2025 are calculated by comparing each quarter to the same quarter in the previous year.  From April 2025 these movements are calculated by comparing each month to the same month in the previous year.

Goods and Services annual inflation similar in October

Annual Goods inflation was 3.8 per cent, up from 3.7 per cent in the 12 months to September 2025. The main contributor was electricity (37.1 per cent). 

Annual Services inflation was 3.9 per cent, up from 3.5 per cent in the 12 months to September 2025. The main contributors were Rents (4.2 per cent), Medical and hospital services (5.1 per cent) and Domestic holiday travel and accommodation (7.1 per cent).  

  1. Annual movements prior to April 2025 are calculated by comparing each quarter to the same quarter in the previous year.  From April 2025 these movements are calculated by comparing each month to the same month in the previous year.

Electricity

Electricity costs rose 37.1 per cent in the 12 months to October 2025. The annual rise in electricity costs is primarily related to State Government rebates being used up by households, as well as the timing of the rollout of the Commonwealth Energy Bill Relief Fund (EBRF) rebates.

In October last year, State Government electricity rebates were in place for Queensland and Western Australia. Over the year, those rebates have been used up and those programs have ended meaning electricity costs rose over the year.

The timing of when households first received payments, and subsequent catchup payments, of the 2024-25 EBRF and EBRF 2025 Extension payments, also contributed to the annual rise in electricity costs. 

Excluding the impact of the various changes in Commonwealth and State electricity rebates over the last year, electricity prices rose 5.0 per cent, reflecting annual price reviews in July 2025. 

In monthly terms, electricity costs fell 10.2 per cent in October 2025. The fall this month was driven by NSW and ACT, as households in these States received a catch-up payment of the extended EBRF rebates, in lieu of not receiving a payment in July. The extended EBRF payments commenced from 11 October in Western Australia, which resulted in lower electricity costs for some households.

June 2023, index = 100

a. Introduction of the 2023-24 Commonwealth Energy Bill Relief Fund (EBRF) rebates

b. Introduction of the first instalment of the 2024-25 EBRF rebates for all households in QLD and WA, and State rebates in QLD, WA and TAS

c. Introduction of the first instalment of the EBRF 2025 extension rebates for all households in VIC, QLD, SA, TAS and NT

d. Introduction of the first instalment of the EBRF 2025 extension rebates for all households in NSW and ACT

e. Introduction of the first instalment of the EBRF 2025 extension rebates for all households in WA

Rents

Rents rose 4.2 per cent in the 12 months to October 2025, following a 3.8 per cent rise in the 12 months to September 2025. The increase in the annual growth rate is due to a smaller impact from Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) this month compared to October 2024. CRA lowers the cost of rents for eligible tenants. 

In October 2024, rents fell 0.2 per cent driven by a 10 per cent increase in the maximum rate available for Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) in addition to the usual biannual indexation on 20 September 2024. The usual biannual indexation of CRA on 20 September 2025 was captured in the September and October 2025 months. 

Excluding the various CRA changes over the last 12 months, rents would have increased 4.5 per cent in the 12 months to October 2025, down from a rise of 4.6 per cent in the 12 months to September 2025. 

  1. Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) maximum rates increased by 15% on top of the usual biannual CPI indexation from 20 September 2023.
  2. Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) maximum rates increased by 10% on top of the usual biannual CPI indexation from 20 September 2024. 

New dwellings

New dwelling prices rose 1.7 per cent in the 12 months to October 2025, up from a 1.5 per cent rise in the 12 months to September 2025. An increase in demand has seen project home builders in some cities reduce promotional offers and raise base prices leading to a rise of 0.4 per cent for new dwellings this month. 

Food and non-alcoholic beverages

Annual inflation for Food and non-alcoholic beverages was 3.2 per cent in the 12 months to October 2025, unchanged from 3.2 per cent to September 2025, and has remained around 3.0 per cent for the past 12 months.

Meals out and takeaway food rose 3.6 per cent in the 12 months to October 2025, with elevated costs for labour and ingredients driving the rise. 

Prices for meat and seafood increased 3.8 per cent in the 12 months to October 2025. The annual rise was driven by Lamb and goat (+14.6 per cent) and Beef and veal (+10.5 per cent) following strong overseas demand for Australian red meat. 

Fruit and vegetable prices increased 1.8 per cent in the 12 months to October 2025, up from a 0.7 per cent increase to September 2025. In monthly terms, Fruit prices rose 3.1 per cent in October due to higher prices for strawberries, raspberries and apples. 

Non-alcoholic beverages prices increased 4.8 per cent in the 12 months to October 2025. The annual rise was driven by Coffee, tea and cocoa (+16.4 per cent), due to lower supply of coffee beans from major overseas suppliers. 

Food products n.e.c. prices increased 3.8 per cent in the 12 months to October 2025. The annual rise for egg prices was 6.2 per cent, having peaked at 19.4 per cent in the 12 months to June 2025 as supply was affected by bird flu outbreaks. Egg prices have fallen in the past four months as supply has improved. 

Holiday travel and accommodation

Holiday travel and accommodation prics rose 3.0 per cent in the 12 months to October 2025, up from a 2.0 per cent annual rise to September 2025, driven by Domestic holiday travel and accommodation. 

In monthly terms, Domestic holiday travel and accommodation rose 5.9 per cent. School holidays in all states and territories in October along with major sporting events led to higher demand for domestic travel. 

Main contributors to change

CPI groups

Food and non-alcoholic beverages group (+3.2%)

Alcohol and tobacco group (+4.4%)

Clothing and footwear group (+5.4%)

Housing group (+5.9%)

Furnishings, household equipment and services group (+2.1%)

Health group (4.0%)

Transport group (+2.7%)

Communication group (+0.8%)

Recreation and culture group (+3.2%)

Education group (+5.4%)

Insurance and financial services group (+2.5%)

Analytical series

Analytical series

 

Sept 25 to Oct 25

(% change)

Oct 24 to Oct 25

(% change)

Trimmed mean 0.33.3
Weighted median0.33.4
CPI excluding volatile items0.03.9
CPI excluding volatile items and holiday travel0.14.0
Tradables-0.42.0
Non-tradables0.24.8
Goods-0.13.8
Services0.13.9
Discretionary0.33.2
Non-discretionary-0.34.3
All groups CPI, seasonally adjusted0.33.9

Capital cities comparison

All groups CPI

All groups CPI, index numbers and percentage changes
 Index number(a)Percentage change (%)
 Oct 2025Sep 2025 to Oct 2025Oct 2024 to Oct 2025 
Sydney99.89-0.13.6
Melbourne100.010.03.3
Brisbane100.210.25.2
Adelaide100.110.13.7
Perth99.82-0.24.3
Hobart100.460.54.1
Darwin100.180.23.7
Canberra99.990.03.4
Weighted average of eight capital cities99.990.03.8
  1. Index reference period: September 2025 = 100.0.
Group by capital city, annual percentage change
GroupSydneyMelbourneBrisbaneAdelaidePerthHobartDarwinCanberraWeighted average of eight capital cities
All groups3.63.35.23.74.34.13.73.43.8
Food & non-alcoholic beverages3.23.23.33.43.04.23.22.93.2
Alcohol & tobacco3.24.55.65.94.57.13.84.24.4
Clothing & footwear5.75.26.64.95.14.44.33.25.4
Housing4.24.212.46.77.95.65.03.55.9
Furnishings, household equipment and services1.91.83.01.91.93.42.12.12.1
Health4.43.54.34.04.12.44.93.94.0
Transport3.12.53.10.72.62.14.54.32.7
Communication0.80.70.70.70.70.80.70.90.8
Recreation & culture3.81.92.62.25.63.93.73.23.2
Education5.65.54.84.45.64.55.26.15.4
Insurance & financial services2.43.22.42.00.93.41.22.42.5

Data downloads

Data files

Capital Cities

Data files

Appendix 1

Quarterly data will be included in the December 2025 publication, scheduled for release on Wednesday, 28 January 2026.

Appendix 2

APPENDIX 2. CPI: Index Points contribution April 2024 to December 2024

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Article archive

CPI feature articles

Using price indexes

Price indexes in contracts

Price indexes published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) provide summary measures of the movements in various categories of prices over time. They are published primarily for use in Government economic analysis. Price indexes are also often used in contracts by businesses and government to adjust payments and/or charges to take account of changes in categories of prices (Indexation Clauses).

Use of Price Indexes in Contracts sets out a range of issues that should be taken into account by parties considering including an Indexation Clause in a contract using an ABS published price index.

Frequently asked questions

The Frequently Asked Questions page has answers to a number of common questions to do with price indexes and the Consumer Price Index in particular.

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 6401.0.

Methodology

Scope

The CPI is a general measure of price change for goods and services purchased by Australian households.

Geography

Monthly data is published at the national level, derived as a weighted average of the eight capital cities.

Source

Prices are collected for a range of goods and services (the CPI basket) from a variety of retailers across the eight capital cities.

Collection method

Prices are collected monthly using: 

  • web-scraping
  • online and telephone collections from retailers
  • administrative data, including supermarket scanner data.

Concepts, sources and methods

Information about the data sources and methods used to compile the CPI is contained in the Consumer Price Index: Concepts, Sources and Methods.

History of changes

View full methodology
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