Australia’s commodity prices registered a sharper year-on-year increase in May 2026, underscoring continued strength in the country’s resource-driven export sector.
According to the latest data updated on 1 June 2026, the commodity price index rose 16.8% in May compared with the same month a year earlier. This marks an acceleration from April 2026, when the index was up 15.7% year-over-year. The figures show that the pace of annual growth in commodity prices has picked up, rather than plateauing, as the second quarter progresses.
The comparison is made on a year-over-year basis, meaning the May reading reflects the change in prices relative to May of the previous year, while the April figure is measured against April a year earlier. The strengthening in May suggests that external demand and/or price conditions for Australia’s key commodities remain robust, a development closely watched by markets given its implications for export revenues and broader economic momentum.