CPI rose 4.2% in the year to April 2026

Media Release
Released
27/05/2026
Release date and time
27/05/2026 11:30am AEST

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 4.2 per cent in the 12 months to April 2026, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Sue-Ellen Luke, ABS head of prices statistics, said: ‘Annual CPI inflation in the 12 months to April was 4.2 per cent, falling from the 4.6 per cent annual inflation to March.’

Housing, which is the highest weighted group in the CPI, was the largest contributor to annual inflation in April, with a rise of 6.3 per cent. This was followed by a 6.6 per cent rise in Transport, easing from an 8.9 per cent rise in March. 

When prices for some items change significantly, measures of underlying inflation like the Trimmed mean can give more insights into how inflation is trending. For example, Automotive fuel was excluded from the Trimmed mean in both March and April 2026. 

Trimmed mean annual inflation was 3.4 per cent in the 12 months to April 2026, up from 3.3 per cent in the 12 months to March 2026.

  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.

Of the 11 groups in the CPI, 7 have experienced a slowdown in annual growth from last month with Transport prices moderating the most.

‘Automotive fuel prices fell 7.0 per cent from March to April, after rising by 32.8 per cent in the previous month. The fall this month includes the halving of the fuel excise on 1 April. Automotive fuel prices are still 23.5 per cent higher compared to February and before the impact of the Middle East conflict,’ Ms Luke said. 

‘The impact of higher oil prices has also been seen in products and services with high freight and logistics costs, such as parcel delivery and building materials. This is reflected in price increases of 12.4 per cent for Postal services and 4.7 per cent for New dwelling construction compared to 12 months ago.’ 

Average prices for regular unleaded petrol fell 10 per cent, falling from 228 cents per litre in March to an average price of 206 cents per litre in April. Premium unleaded fell 9 per cent between March and April, with average prices falling to 228 cents per litre. 

Diesel had a 14 per cent rise in average price, rising from 256 cents per litre in March to 292 cents per litre in April, notwithstanding the excise cut. 

Annual Housing inflation was 6.3 per cent in the 12 months to April. This reflects rising costs for Electricity, New dwellings and Rents. 

Electricity costs are 22.5 per cent higher than 12 months ago as Commonwealth and State government rebates that reduced electricity costs for households are no longer in place. 

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