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
October 2024
Released
27/11/2024
  • Next Release 8/01/2025
    Monthly Consumer Price Index Indicator, November 2024
  • Next Release 29/01/2025
    Monthly Consumer Price Index Indicator, December 2024
  • Next Release 26/02/2025
    Monthly Consumer Price Index Indicator, January 2025
  • View all releases

Key statistics

  • The monthly CPI indicator rose 2.1% in the 12 months to October.
  • The most significant price rises at the Group level were Food and non-alcoholic beverages (+3.3%), Recreation and culture (+4.3%), and Alcohol and tobacco (+6.0%). Partly offsetting the annual increases in other Groups was Transport (-2.8%). 

Correction to Child care costs in the CPI

As foreshadowed in the ABS’ media statement on 19 November 2024, Correction to child care costs in the CPI, out-of-pocket child care costs have been corrected as part of compiling the October 2024 monthly CPI indicator. The ABS made errors in estimating the impact of the Government’s reforms to the Child Care Subsidy when they took effect in July 2023.

The correction applied this month reduced the Child care index by 5.8 per cent and reduced the Preschool and primary education index by 0.4 per cent. The correction of child care costs meant the rise in annual inflation was 0.05 percentage points lower than it would otherwise have been without the correction, and the annual trimmed mean was 0.02 percentage points lower than it would otherwise have been.

The correction to child care costs will also apply to the December quarter 2024 CPI (published 29 January 2025).

Main features

Weighted average of eight capital cities, annual movement
 Aug 23 to Aug 24 % changeSep 23 to Sep 24 % changeOct 23 to Oct 24 % change
All groups monthly CPI2.72.12.1
Food and non-alcoholic beverages3.43.33.3
 Bread and cereal products2.51.83.0
 Meat and seafood0.20.91.3
 Dairy and related products-0.2-0.2-1.8
 Fruit and vegetables9.69.18.5
 Food products n.e.c.4.24.13.8
 Non-alcoholic beverages5.13.94.7
Alcohol and tobacco6.66.36.0
 Alcohol3.03.03.2
 Tobacco13.412.912.2
Clothing and footwear1.71.80.6
 Garments2.72.7-0.5
Housing2.61.60.2
 Rents6.86.66.7
 New dwelling purchases by owner-occupiers5.14.34.2
 Electricity-17.9-24.1-35.6
 Gas and other household fuels3.23.14.4
Furnishings, household equipment and services-0.90.61.6
Health5.34.83.9
Transport-1.1-3.8-2.8
 Automotive fuel-7.6-14.0-11.5
Communications-0.2-0.8-0.7
Recreation and culture2.52.44.3
 Holiday travel and accommodation2.82.58.0
Education5.46.46.3
Insurance and financial services6.26.16.3
CPI analytical series   
 Seasonally adjusted2.72.22.3
 CPI excluding volatile items* and holiday travel3.02.72.4
 Annual Trimmed mean3.43.23.5

* = Volatile items are Fruit and vegetables and Automotive fuel

Monthly overview

The monthly CPI indicator rose 2.1% in the 12 months to October, unchanged from the 2.1% rise in the 12 months to September.

The annual movement for the monthly CPI indicator excluding volatile items and holiday travel was 2.4% in October down from 2.7% in September. This series excludes Automotive fuel, Fruit and vegetables and Holiday travel and accommodation.

The 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 falls in Automotive fuel and Electricity, alongside other large price rises and falls, was 3.5% in October, up from 3.2% in September.

*Volatile items are Fruit and vegetables and Automotive fuel

Electricity

Electricity prices fell 35.6% in the 12 months to October, down from a 24.1% annual fall in September. This is the largest annual fall for the monthly Electricity series on record. 

The combined impact of Commonwealth Energy Bill Relief Fund (EBRF) rebates in all States and Territories and State Government rebates in Queensland and Western Australia drove the fall in electricity prices.

Households in all States and Territories except Western Australia have received their second instalment of Commonwealth EBRF rebate in October 2024. Households in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory and ACT received their first instalment of Commonwealth EBRF rebates in August 2024. The fall of 12.3% this month was due to some households in these States and Territories receiving two $75 instalments in October, and some households in Western Australia receiving their first $150 instalment in addition to their first $200 State government rebate instalment in October. 

In Tasmania, the State government rebate was used up by households in September, while in Queensland, households continued to use up the remainder of the State government rebate.

 
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 will receive 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 extended and expanded to all households in July 2024. These rebates have had the effect of reducing electricity costs for households. Including government electricity rebates, electricity costs for households have fallen by 30.2% since June 2023. Excluding these rebates, electricity costs for households would have increased 16.1% since June 2023.

June 2023, index = 100

a) Introduction of the second instalment of Energy Bill Relief Fund for concession households in VIC

b) Introduction of the second instalment of the Energy Bill Relief Fund for concession and newly eligible households in TAS

c) 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

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

e) 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 11.5% in the twelve months to October, which follows an annual fall of 14.0% in September. Fuel prices fell 0.1% in October and have fallen in five of the past six months with lower global demand pushing down the global price of oil. 

Food and non-alcoholic beverages

Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices rose 3.3% in the 12 months to October, unchanged from September. Fruit and vegetables was the main contributor, rising 8.5% in the 12 months to October, driven by higher prices due to lower supply for avocados, berries, and vegetables such as cucumber and broccoli. 

Dairy and related products was the only food category to record a decrease annually driven by price falls for milk, cheese and ice cream.

New dwellings and Rents

New dwelling prices, which capture new builds and major renovations, rose 4.2% in the 12 months to October. Annual price growth has eased in September and October months after remaining around 5.0% since August 2023, with builders passing on higher costs for labour and materials. In monthly terms, new dwelling prices rose 0.1% in October. 

Rental prices increased 6.7% in the 12 months to October, maintaining similar annual growth to September, amid low vacancy rates and tight rental markets in most capital cities. In monthly terms, Rent prices fell -0.3%, following a 0.1% rise in September. 

The fall in rents this month was driven by the remaining impact of the changes to Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA). From 20 September, the maximum rate available for rent assistance increased by 10% on top of the usual biannual CPI indexation. An increase in rent assistance reduces rents for eligible tenants.

Excluding the changes to CRA, Rent prices would have increased 0.5% in both September and October 2024.

Holiday travel and accommodation

Holiday travel and accommodation prices rose 8.0% in the 12 months to October, up from a rise of 2.5% in the 12 months to September. This increase in annual growth is primarily due to base effects with a large 7.0% fall in October 2023 no longer contributing to the annual movement in October 2024. 

In monthly terms, Holiday travel and accommodation prices fell 2.0% in October. The main contributor to the fall was International holiday travel and accommodation (-7.8%), with falls following the end of the peak European summer season.

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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.
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