Monthly Consumer Price Index Indicator

Latest release

The monthly CPI indicator is a measure of inflation and includes statistics about prices for categories of households expenditure

Reference period
November 2024
Released
8/01/2025
  • Next Release 29/01/2025
    Monthly Consumer Price Index Indicator, December 2024
  • Next Release 26/02/2025
    Monthly Consumer Price Index Indicator, January 2025
  • Next Release 26/03/2025
    Monthly Consumer Price Index Indicator, February 2025
  • View all releases

Key statistics

  • The monthly CPI indicator rose 2.3% in the 12 months to November.
  • The top contributors to the annual movement were Food and non-alcoholic beverages (+2.9%), Alcohol and tobacco (+6.7%), and Recreation and culture (+3.2%). Partly offsetting the rise in the CPI were annual falls for Electricity (-21.5%) and Automotive fuel (-10.2%).

Main features

Weighted average of eight capital cities, annual movement
 Sep 23 to Sep 24 % changeOct 23 to Oct 24 % changeNov 23 to Nov 24 % change
All groups monthly CPI2.12.12.3
Food and non-alcoholic beverages3.33.32.9
 Bread and cereal products1.83.02.7
 Meat and seafood0.91.32.4
 Dairy and related products-0.2-1.8-0.9
 Fruit and vegetables9.18.56.0
 Food products n.e.c.4.13.83.3
 Non-alcoholic beverages3.94.73.6
Alcohol and tobacco6.36.06.7
 Alcohol3.03.24.1
 Tobacco12.912.212.2
Clothing and footwear1.80.62.0
 Garments2.7-0.51.7
Housing1.60.21.2
 Rents6.66.76.6
 New dwelling purchases by owner-occupiers4.34.22.8
 Electricity-24.1-35.6-21.5
 Gas and other household fuels3.14.45.3
Furnishings, household equipment and services0.61.61.6
Health4.83.93.9
Transport-3.8-2.8-2.4
 Automotive fuel-14.0-11.5-10.2
Communications-0.8-0.70.1
Recreation and culture2.44.33.2
 Holiday travel and accommodation2.58.03.8
Education6.46.36.3
Insurance and financial services6.16.35.5
CPI analytical series   
 Seasonally adjusted2.22.32.5
 CPI excluding volatile items* and holiday travel2.72.42.8
 Annual trimmed mean3.23.53.2

* = Volatile items are Fruit and vegetables and Automotive fuel

Monthly overview

The monthly CPI indicator rose 2.3% in the 12 months to November, up from the 2.1% rise in the 12 months to October.

The annual movement for the monthly CPI indicator excluding volatile items and holiday travel was 2.8% in November following a 2.4% rise in October. This series excludes Automotive fuel, Fruit and vegetables and Holiday travel and accommodation.

The annual trimmed mean is an alternative measure of underlying inflation that reduces the impact of irregular or temporary price changes. Annual trimmed mean inflation, which excluded both the significant annual falls in Automotive fuel and Electricity, alongside other large price rises and falls, was 3.2% in November, down from 3.5% in October.

*Volatile items are Fruit and vegetables and Automotive fuel

Electricity

Electricity prices fell 21.5% in the 12 months to November, which followed a 35.6% annual fall to October. Electricity rebates remain in place, which have lowered electricity prices for households in annual terms. The annual fall in electricity prices softened due to a 22.4% rise in the November month, following four consecutive monthly falls.

The monthly rise of 22.4% in November was due to the return to a single monthly instalment of the 2024-25 Commonwealth Energy Bill Relief Fund (EBRF) rebate for households in South Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory and ACT, and for most households in New South Wales and Victoria. Differences in the roll out schedule of the 2024-25 EBRF rebates meant that households in these states received catch up payments (two instalments) in October. The first instalments of 2024-25 Commonwealth and State rebates in Western Australia have also been used up in November. Households in Western Australia will receive their second instalments of both Commonwealth and State rebates from December 2024.

 
Commonwealth $300 rebate
WA $400 State rebateQLD $1,000 State rebateTAS $250 State rebate (Renewable Energy Dividend)
Rebate methodApplied directly to electricity bills as four equal $75 quarterly instalments in the 2024-25 FY (a)Applied directly to electricity bills as two equal $200 instalments from July and December 2024Applied directly to electricity bills as a one-off $1,000 rebateApplied directly to electricity bills as a one-off $250 rebate
TimingFrom July 2024 for WA (b) and QLD. For all remaining States and Territories, from August 2024. (c) and (d)From July 2024 (b) From July 2024From July 2024
  1. This applies to all States and Territories, except WA, where rebates will be applied directly to electricity bills as two equal $150 instalments from July 2024 and December 2024.
  2. In Western Australia, the first instalment of both Energy Bill Relief Fund 2024-25 and $400 Electricity Credit has been paid from 20 July 2024. The remaining proportion of households whose billing cycle is in July 2024 have received their first instalment in October 2024.
  3. For States and Territories receiving rebates from August, the households whose billing cycle is in July 2024 have received two instalments in October 2024.
  4. In New South Wales and Victoria, the first instalment of Energy Bill Relief Fund 2024-25 has been paid from part way through August 2024. The remaining proportion of households whose billing cycle is in August has been paid their first instalment in November 2024.

The following graph shows the Electricity series including and excluding government electricity rebates. The EBRF rebates were first introduced in July 2023 and were expanded to all households in July 2024. These rebates have had the effect of reducing electricity prices for households. Including government electricity rebates, electricity prices for households have fallen by 14.6% since June 2023. Excluding these rebates, electricity prices for households would have increased 16.9% since June 2023.

June 2023, index = 100

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

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

c) Introduction of the first instalment of 2024-25 Commonwealth rebates for all households in NSW, VIC, SA, TAS, NT and ACT

d) Introduction of the second instalment of 2024-25 Commonwealth rebates for all households in NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, TAS, NT and ACT

Automotive fuel

Automotive fuel prices fell 10.2% in the twelve months to November, which follows an annual fall of 11.5% to October. Fuel prices rose 0.9% in the November month, which is the first monthly rise in five months. Soft global demand has pushed down the price of oil over the past year.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages

Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices rose 2.9% in the 12 months to November, which follows a 3.3% rise in the 12 months to October. The November annual movement for Food and non-alcoholic beverages is the lowest since January 2022.

Meals out and takeaway rose 2.6% in the 12 months to November, following a 2.9% rise in the 12 months to October. Price growth continues to ease as consumer demand softens. 

Fruit and vegetable prices rose 6.0% in the 12 months to November, which followed an 8.5% rise in the 12 months to October. While prices remain higher compared to 12 months ago, in recent months prices have fallen for tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, mangoes and strawberries due to favourable growing conditions.

Dairy and related products remains the only food category to record a decrease annually, following cuts to farmgate milk prices.

Holiday travel and accommodation

Holiday travel and accommodation prices rose 3.8% in the 12 months to November, following a rise of 8.0% in the 12 months to October. 

In monthly terms, Holiday travel and accommodation prices fell 1.3%. International travel and accommodation drove the fall as prices for international airfares fell across many popular tourist destinations due to lower demand during the off-peak travel season in Europe and North America.

New dwellings and Rents

New dwelling prices, which capture new builds and major renovations, rose 2.8% in the 12 months to November. Price growth has eased in recent months with the rise in the 12 months to November being the weakest annual rise since July 2021. This fall is mainly due to builders offering discounts and promotional offers to entice business. In monthly terms, new dwelling prices fell 0.6% in November. 

Rental prices increased 6.6% in the 12 months to November, maintaining similar annual growth to October, amid low vacancy rates and tight rental markets in most capital cities. In monthly terms, Rent prices rose 0.6%, following a 0.3% fall in October. The fall in October was due to the increase to Commonwealth Rent Assistance maximum rates in addition to the biannual CPI indexation from 20 September, which reduced rents for eligible tenants.

Insurance

Insurance prices rose 11.0% in the 12 months to November, softer than the 14.0% rise in the 12 months to October. Higher reinsurance, natural disaster and claims costs continue to contribute to higher premiums for house, motor vehicle and home contents insurance over the past 12 months. 

In monthly terms, Insurance rose 1.1%, with easing reinsurance and replacement and repair costs in recent months contributing to a moderation in insurance premium price growth across all policy types. 

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Data explorer for the monthly CPI indicator.

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Detailed monthly data

Monthly Expenditure class data

About the monthly CPI indicator

What is the monthly CPI Indicator?

Introducing monthly indicators of underlying inflation

Articles

Measuring Rents in the CPI 

Using price indexes

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. 

Consistent with existing policy, the ABS does not comment on the use (or otherwise) of the price indexes we publish. However, it should be noted that the monthly CPI indicator may be routinely subject to revision, in contrast to the quarterly CPI which is only revised in exceptional circumstances.

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

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) specific to the monthly CPI indicator can be found in the Information paper: Introducing a monthly CPI indicator for Australia FAQs 

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

Methodology

Scope

The monthly CPI indicator 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 in a range of frequencies including monthly, quarterly, and annually 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

  • Annual update of CPI weights January 2024. 
  • Partial update of CPI weights July 2023.
  • Monthly Gas series included June 2023.
  • Annual trimmed mean included April 2023.
  • Monthly Electricity included February 2023.
View full methodology
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