The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is set to release its first complete monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) for October 2025 tomorrow. This marks a significant shift from the current quarterly inflation reporting cycle to a more frequent monthly schedule. According to ABS Australian Statistician Dr David Gruen, the move will enable earlier detection of inflation trends, thereby providing improved information to inform policy decisions.
The initial release will feature seasonally adjusted and trimmed mean indexes alongside detailed breakdowns for each capital city. To maintain comparability, the ABS will also continue the existing quarterly CPI series. The new monthly CPI incorporates additional data sources, including supermarket scanner data and childcare datasets.
This enhancement aligns Australia with other G20 nations that already report inflation figures on a monthly basis. Financial markets have already factored in a slight increase in inflation, anticipating a rise to 3.6 per cent year-on-year, up from the 3.2 per cent recorded at the end of the September quarter. The ABS aims to provide more timely and granular insights into inflationary pressures within the Australian economy through this new monthly release.
