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
September Quarter 2025
Released
29/10/2025
  • Next Release 26/11/2025
    Consumer Price Index, Australia, October 2025
  • Next Release 7/01/2026
    Consumer Price Index, Australia, November 2025
  • Next Release 28/01/2026
    Consumer Price Index, Australia, December 2025
  • View all releases
Release date and time
29/10/2025 11:30am AEDT

Key statistics

  • The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 1.3% this quarter.
  • Over the twelve months to the September 2025 quarter, the CPI rose 3.2%.
  • The most significant price rises this quarter were Housing (+2.5%), Recreation and culture (+1.9%) and Transport (+1.2%).

What's new this quarter

Complete monthly measure of the CPI

The first release of the complete Monthly CPI will be published on Wednesday, 26 November 2025, using the October 2025 reference month. Today marks the final time that the quarterly CPI will be the primary measure of headline inflation and the last release of the Monthly CPI Indicator. More details are available in our media statement: ABS announces the Monthly CPI to start in November 2025

Transition to monthly CPI

An information paper Evolving Australia's Consumer Price Index has been released today. It highlights how the collection and publication of prices in Australia has evolved over time from its beginnings in the early 1900s through to the current transition from the quarterly CPI to the complete Monthly CPI.

Monthly CPI publication

A mock-up of the complete Monthly CPI publication (including table shells and series IDs) was published on the Complete monthly measure of the CPI page on 30 September.

Monthly CPI Indicator

The latest monthly inflation data can be found in the Monthly CPI Indicator. For more information on how the Monthly CPI Indicator relates to the quarterly CPI see Introducing a monthly CPI indicator for Australia

Main features

 

Weighted average of eight capital cities
Weighted average of eight capital citiesJun Qtr 2025 to Sep Qtr 2025 Sep Qtr 2024 to Sep Qtr 2025
 (% change)(% change)
All groups CPI1.33.2
Food and non-alcoholic beverages0.73.1
Alcohol and tobacco1.65.9
Clothing and footwear0.52.4
Housing2.54.7
Furnishings, household equipment and services0.91.0
Health0.04.2
Transport1.20.8
Communication1.41.8
Recreation and culture1.92.3
Education0.15.3
Insurance and financial services0.82.6
CPI analytical series  
All groups CPI, seasonally adjusted1.23.2
Trimmed mean1.03.0
Weighted median1.02.8

Overview

Trimmed mean inflation increases in September quarter

Trimmed mean annual inflation was 3.0 per cent to the September 2025 quarter, up from 2.7 per cent to the June quarter. This is the first time Trimmed mean annual inflation has increased since December 2022.

Jump in annual Goods inflation

Annual Goods inflation was 3.0 per cent, up from 1.1 per cent in the previous quarter. This was due mainly to electricity (23.6 per cent), while automotive fuel prices had less of a detraction in the 12 months to the September quarter (-1.6 per cent) compared to the June quarter (-10.0 per cent). 

Annual Services inflation was 3.5 per cent to the September quarter, up from 3.3 per cent to the June quarter.

Annual inflation rises for some Services categories

Annual Services inflation has risen for some services this quarter including restaurants, dentists and vets. Inflation for domestic holiday travel has risen again this quarter due to higher accommodation and airfare prices.

Annual inflation continues to ease for rents to 3.8 per cent, the lowest since December 2022. There has also been a notable drop for insurance, from annual increases in premium prices of 14 per cent last year to less than 3 per cent in the September 2025 quarter.

Electricity costs rise due to annual price reviews and rebate timing

Electricity rose 9.0 per cent this quarter, following an 8.1 per cent rise in the June quarter. 

The rise in Electricity costs was driven by annual price reviews and the timing of rebates. 

Excluding the rebates, electricity prices would have risen by 4.8 per cent in the September 2025 quarter following annual price reviews. 

The Electricity series recorded a rise of 23.6 per cent over the past 12 months. The annual rise in electricity costs is primarily related to State Government rebates being used up by households. State Government electricity rebates that were in place in September quarter 2024 included the Queensland $1,000 State rebate, the Western Australia $400 State rebate and the Tasmania $250 State rebate. Over the year, those rebates have been used up and those programs have finished.

The following graph shows the impact the rebates have had on the Electricity series in the CPI since the September 2023 quarter when the EBRF rebates were first introduced.

  1. Introduction of the 2023-24 Energy Bill Relief Fund (EBRF) for concession households in NSW, VIC, SA, TAS, NT and ACT, and all households in QLD and WA, from July 2023.
  2. Introduction of the first instalment of 2024-25 Commonwealth EBRF rebates for all households, and State government rebates in QLD, WA and TAS, from July 2024.
  3. First instalment of extended 2024-25 EBRF rebates for all households in VIC, QLD, SA, TAS and NT from July 2025, and all households in NSW and ACT from August 2025.

Biggest rise in Property rates and charges in over a decade

Property rates and charges typically increase in the September quarter as local councils review their rates and levies. The 6.3 per cent rise this year was the highest since 2014. The rise reflects increases in general rates in all capital cities, higher waste levies and additional levies charged by councils.

Annual inflation continues to ease for rents and remains low for new dwellings

Rental prices rose 3.8 per cent over the 12 months to the September quarter, down from 4.5 per cent to the June quarter. This is the weakest annual rise since the September 2022 quarter. The easing in annual rental price growth continues to reflect stable vacancy rates across most capital cities. 

New dwelling prices rose 0.9 per cent over the 12 months to the September quarter, up slightly from 0.7 per cent to the June quarter. 

Over the past 12 months project home builders have responded to a subdued new home market by increasing incentives and promotional offers to entice new business. In the last three months, a slight uptick in demand has seen project home builders in some cities reduce promotional offers and raise base prices.

Annual food inflation steady at 3 per cent

Annual inflation for Food and non-alcoholic beverages has remained around 3 per cent for the past six quarters. 

Meals out and takeaway rose 3.3 per cent in the 12 months to the September quarter. This is the strongest annual rise since the June 2024 quarter. Higher costs for labour and ingredients have contributed to price increases. 

Non-alcoholic beverages annual inflation continues to be elevated as low supply from major coffee bean growing areas puts upward pressure on coffee prices. Coffee, tea and cocoa was up 14.6 per cent annually.

Fruit and vegetable annual price growth of 2.2 per cent has slowed from a recent high of 8.6 per cent to the September 2024 quarter.  

Fuel prices steady in the September quarter

National average unleaded fuel prices have been around $1.80 per litre for the past five quarters. Automotive fuel prices increased 2.0 per cent in the September quarter. Annually, fuel prices fell 1.6 per cent, compared to a fall of 10.0 per cent to the June quarter.

Main contributors to change

CPI groups

Food and non-alcoholic beverages group (+0.7%)

Alcohol and tobacco group (+1.6%)

Clothing and footwear group (+0.5%)

Housing group (+2.5%)

Furnishings, household equipment and services group (+0.9%)

Health group (0.0%)

Transport group (+1.2%)

Communication group (+1.4%)

Recreation and culture group (+1.9%)

Education group (+0.1%)

Insurance and financial services group (+0.8%)

International trade exposure - tradables and non-tradables

Discretionary and non-discretionary inflation

Underlying inflation series

Seasonally adjusted analytical series

Capital cities comparison

All groups CPI

All groups CPI, index numbers and percentage changes
 Index number(a)Percentage change (%)
 Sep Qtr 2025Jun Qtr 2025 to Sep Qtr 2025Sep Qtr 2024 to Sep Qtr 2025
Sydney143.91.52.9
Melbourne142.91.22.6
Brisbane146.01.34.7
Adelaide144.01.12.4
Perth143.11.34.5
Hobart142.71.44.3
Darwin137.21.12.5
Canberra141.11.52.8
Weighted average of eight capital cities143.61.33.2
  1. Index reference period: 2011-12 = 100.0.

Capital city highlights:

Sydney (+1.5%)

Melbourne (+1.2%)

Brisbane (+1.3%)

Adelaide (+1.1%)

Perth (+1.3%)

Hobart (+1.4%)

Darwin (+1.1%)

Canberra (+1.5%)

Quarterly percentage change by capital city
GroupSydneyMelbourneBrisbaneAdelaidePerthHobartDarwinCanberraWeighted average of eight capital cities
All groups1.51.21.31.11.31.41.11.51.3
Food & non-alcoholic beverages0.61.00.40.60.61.11.00.70.7
Alcohol & tobacco1.31.51.82.42.32.60.82.31.6
Clothing & footwear1.10.40.50.30.2-1.1-0.1-0.70.5
Housing3.02.32.32.12.03.51.83.12.5
Furnishings, household equipment and services0.51.01.71.21.11.31.31.20.9
Health0.1-0.2-0.10.1-0.10.00.50.20.0
Transport1.30.91.40.51.41.30.72.01.2
Communication1.41.41.41.41.41.41.41.41.4
Recreation & culture2.41.42.51.21.40.62.22.01.9
Education0.30.10.10.10.10.00.10.10.1
Insurance & financial services0.50.90.30.31.82.1-0.4-0.30.8

Trimmed mean measure

The following table summarises the Expenditure Classes that were excluded ('trimmed out') as part of the calculation of the quarterly Trimmed mean.

There are three steps involved in calculating the Trimmed mean. Firstly, the seasonally adjusted quarterly percentage changes for each of the 87 CPI Expenditure Classes (ECs) are calculated and ranked from lowest to highest. Each EC has a weight that represents the proportion of expenditure spent on it out of total household expenditure. The second step uses these weights to work out which ECs (including parts of the ECs that are on the 15 per cent and 85 per cent borders) make up the top and bottom 15 per cent of the distribution. These are the ECs that are 'trimmed out'. Finally, the Trimmed mean is calculated as the weighted average of the quarterly movements for the remaining 70 per cent of ECs by weight.

Two important points to note about how the Trimmed mean is calculated are:

  1. The selection and number of ECs trimmed changes from quarter to quarter depending on the distribution of the quarterly movements and the weights of the ECs at the lower and upper end of the distribution.
  2. To produce the Trimmed mean, the seasonally adjusted quarterly movement for each EC is used. Without the use of seasonally adjusted movements, some ECs may always be excluded from the Trimmed mean due to the volatile nature of their price change resulting from seasonal factors (e.g. holiday travel).

For more details about the Trimmed mean see Underlying Inflation Measures: Explaining the Trimmed mean.

September 2025 quarter Trimmed mean

Lower trim 
CPI Expenditure class

Quarterly movement (%)

(seasonally adjusted)

Status
Games, toys and hobbies -2.8Trimmed
Footwear for infants and children -2.2Trimmed
Small electric household appliances -1.8Trimmed
Glassware, tableware and household utensils -1.5Trimmed
Furniture -1.4Trimmed
Other recreational, sporting and cultural services -1.3Trimmed
Spare parts and accessories for motor vehicles -1.3Trimmed
Fruit -0.9Trimmed
Garments for men -0.8Trimmed
Other meats -0.8Trimmed
Footwear for men -0.7Trimmed
Cheese -0.7Trimmed
Pets and related products -0.6Trimmed
Garments for infants and children -0.6Trimmed
Breakfast cereals -0.6Trimmed
Footwear for women -0.5Trimmed
Fish and other seafood -0.5Trimmed
Poultry -0.5Trimmed
Tools and equipment for house and garden -0.5Trimmed
Other non-durable household products -0.4Trimmed
Bread -0.3Trimmed
Equipment for sports, camping and open-air recreation -0.2Trimmed
Audio, visual and computing equipment -0.2Trimmed
Eggs 0.0Trimmed
Oils and fats 0.0Trimmed
Other cereal products 0.0Trimmed
Other food products n.e.c. 0.1Trimmed
Major household appliances 0.2Trimmed
Waters, soft drinks and juices 0.2Trimmed
Carpets and other floor coverings 0.3Trimmed
Pharmaceutical products 0.4Partially trimmed

 

 

Upper trim 
CPI Expenditure class

Quarterly movement (%)

(seasonally adjusted)

Status
Automotive fuel 2.0Partially trimmed
Beef and veal 2.0Trimmed
Property rates and charges 2.6Trimmed
Household textiles 2.7Trimmed
Gas and other household fuels2.7Trimmed
Domestic holiday travel and accommodation 2.9Trimmed
Child care 3.2Trimmed
Tobacco 3.7Trimmed
Lamb and goat 4.8Trimmed
Coffee, tea and cocoa 4.8Trimmed
Audio, visual and computing media and services 5.3Trimmed
Accessories 6.0Trimmed
Electricity 7.3Trimmed

Selected tables - capital cities

All groups CPI, index numbers(a)

All groups CPI, percentage changes

Longer term series: All groups CPI, weighted average of eight capital cities, index numbers

Data downloads

Time series spreadsheets

Data files

Time series spreadsheets

Article archive

CPI feature articles

Measuring Rents in the CPI

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.

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