Australia's Inflation Rises to 4.3% in September: Housing Up 5.2% and Fuel Up 9.4% in the Month Lead the Increase
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released figures in Canberra on October 28 showing that the Consumer Price Index rose 4.3% in the 12 months to September 2026, up from 4.0% in August and still well above the Reserve Bank's 2% to 3% target band. Prices rose 0.8% in September itself, and the quarterly CPI rose 1.3% in the September quarter.
Rachael McCririck, ABS head of price statistics, said housing was the biggest contributor to annual inflation, rising 5.2% on higher costs for both new dwellings and electricity. New dwelling prices rose 4.7% over the year, down from 5.4% in August, as builders passed on elevated material and labour costs, while electricity prices rose 12.8%. Transport was the second-largest contributor, up 8.7%, with automotive fuel up 23.6% over the year and 9.4% in September alone, which the ABS attributed to higher world oil prices.
Trimmed mean inflation, the Reserve Bank's preferred underlying measure, was 3.6% in September, from a revised 3.5% in August, also above the target band. The figures were released with the RBA cash rate at 4.60% and the Bank's next policy decision due on November 3.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 澳大利亚国会大厦，位于堪培拉。Nick Pitsas（CSIRO）摄，CC BY 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Parliament House in Canberra, Australia. Photo by Nick Pitsas, CSIRO, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
