Australia: Inflation picks up in September from the prior month
Latest reading: Consumer prices rose 3.5% on a year-on-year basis in September, following a 3.0% increase in the previous month. The September reading was above market expectations and the Central Bank’s target of 2–3%.
Relative to the prior month’s data, there were higher price pressures for food and beverages (+3.1% on a year-on-year basis vs +3.0% in August), housing and utilities (+5.6% vs +4.5% in August), transportation and communication (+2.3% vs +0.4% in August) and recreation (+1.9% vs +1.4% in August). In contrast, price pressures reduced for clothing and footwear in September(+2.1% vs +3.0% in August).
Lastly, consumer prices increased 2.5% in September in annual terms, following a 2.4% rise in the prior month.