What it measures
The Consumer Price Index measures the change in the prices households pay for a basket of goods and services. The calendar shows the year-on-year rate from the monthly release.
Who publishes it and when
The ABS publishes it at 11:30 Sydney time, near the end of the month after the one it covers. The first complete monthly CPI came out on 26 November 2025, replacing the older Monthly CPI Indicator.
How it is put together
The complete monthly CPI prices most of the basket every month, much more than the older indicator did, so it is a full measure of inflation rather than a partial preview. Quarterly figures are now worked out from the monthly ones.
What traders watch
Traders compare the annual rate with the RBA's 2–3% target band and with expectations, and look at the trimmed mean, the RBA's preferred measure of underlying inflation, and at services inflation.
How markets have usually reacted
A higher than expected reading has often supported the Australian dollar and Australian bond yields; a lower one has often weighed on them. The Australian dollar also reacts to global risk mood and China, which can blur the effect.
Common mistakes
- Treating it as the old, partial monthly indicator: since November 2025 it is the full headline measure.
- Ignoring the trimmed mean that the RBA points to.
How a higher or lower figure is usually read
Higher inflation than last month is usually read as supportive for the Australian dollar, because it points to firmer RBA policy; lower inflation as negative. Not a signal.
Release history
| Date | Period | Actual | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 4.3% | 4.0% |
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- How to use an economic calendar: what happens around a release, and how to plan for it
Trading involves a high risk of loss. This page is information and education, not advice or a signal to trade. See the Risk Disclaimer.
Official source
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Published by Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS): www.abs.gov.au