Australia’s Core Inflation Holds Steady as Weighted Mean CPI Stays at 3.5% in Q1

Australia’s weighted mean Consumer Price Index (CPI), a key measure of underlying inflation, held unchanged at 3.5% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026, matching the previous reading of 3.5% recorded in February 2026. The data, updated on 29 April 2026, indicate that core inflation pressures have neither intensified nor eased over the period, suggesting a period of relative price stability in underlying consumer costs.

On a year-over-year basis, the latest figure shows that the pace of change in the first quarter of 2026 is running at the same rate as that measured a month earlier, when February’s weighted mean CPI was also 3.5% versus the same month a year ago. This stability in the underlying inflation gauge will be closely watched by markets and policymakers as they assess the trajectory of prices and the broader economic outlook in Australia.