Official measure
The Australian Bureau of Statistics all-groups CPI measures price change for goods and services acquired by Australian households. The national result is a weighted average of the eight capital cities.
Read the official methodologyInflation by region
Australia inflation in August 2026: prices up 4.0% year over year
Use the latest official Australia reading to test what an income goal needs in AUD to preserve buying power.
Australian Bureau of Statistics CPI for August 2026: 4.0% year over year. Published September 30, 2026. Use this as a starting assumption for purchasing-power planning, then adjust it for your own decision.
August 2026 CPI, all-groups
4.0%
year over year
- Region
- Australia
- Currency
- AUD
Read the number correctly
What this regional reading covers.
Release rhythm
ABS publishes the CPI monthly, generally on the last Wednesday of the month for the preceding reference month, with a holiday exception for the December publication.
Planning context
Australia's all-groups CPI is a national metropolitan-household benchmark. It does not measure price-level differences between individual cities or a particular household's budget.
Buying power
What the same goal needs today.
At a constant 4.0% annual rate, these are equivalent AUD income goals after 1, 3, and 5 years.
Swipe or scroll horizontally to compare every year.
| Goal set … | 1 year ago | 3 years ago | 5 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUD 75,000 | AUD 78,000 | AUD 84,365 | AUD 91,249 |
| AUD 100,000 | AUD 104,000 | AUD 112,486 | AUD 121,665 |
| AUD 150,000 | AUD 156,000 | AUD 168,730 | AUD 182,498 |
Compounding uses the latest year-over-year rate as a constant assumption. Actual inflation changes over time, so these are planning estimates, not predictions.
Next step
Use the rate.
Inflation calculator
Inflation-adjusted income goal calculator
Calculate how much your income goal needs to rise to keep the same buying power after inflation, then track the goal in Goal Cue.
Open at 4.0% inflation
Raise calculator
Salary inflation calculator
Check whether a raise beats inflation, how much salary is needed to keep buying power, and what that means for your yearly income goal.
Open at 4.0% inflation
Freelance pace
Freelance income goal calculator
Calculate where freelance, creator, contractor, or 1099 income should be by now and what weekly pace is needed to hit the annual goal.
Open calculator
Cost of living
Cost of living income calculator
See the income you'd need in a more or less expensive place to keep your current lifestyle — and whether a job offer there measures up.
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Need context? Read inflation-adjusted income goals or raise vs inflation.
What is the latest Australia inflation rate?
Australian Bureau of Statistics CPI reported 4.0% year-over-year inflation for August 2026. The official release was published on September 30, 2026.
Which inflation measure does this Australia page use?
The Australian Bureau of Statistics all-groups CPI measures price change for goods and services acquired by Australian households. The national result is a weighted average of the eight capital cities.
Is this inflation rate a forecast?
No. It is the latest published official CPI, all-groups reading. The worked examples hold 4.0% constant to illustrate purchasing power; they are planning estimates, not a prediction of future inflation.
Keep the adjusted goal on pace.
Goal Cue turns the target into expected progress, actual earnings, and what to earn next.
Download Goal CuePreview your pace free. Ongoing tracking requires Goal Cue Plus.