Real GDP growth (quarter on quarter), Australia
Real GDP growth in Australia was 0.40% in , up 0.10 pp from and down 0.40 pp from a year earlier. Over the latest 12 readings it moved between 0.00% and 0.90%. The next reading is for Q3 2026. Source: ABS, Australian National Accounts (5206.0); history from .
Key takeaways
- Real GDP growth at 0.40% in beats 23% of readings since (ABS).
- Against a ten-year average of 0.55%, real GDP growth is below that norm by 0.15 pp (ABS).
- On real GDP growth, Australia ranks 3rd highest of 3 countries (national publishers).
What this indicator is and why it matters
Real GDP growth, quarter on quarter, is the percent change in Australia's seasonally adjusted chain volume GDP from the previous quarter, as published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics about two months after the quarter ends. It is not annualized.
It is the headline growth figure for Australia and the one markets react to on national accounts day. Australia went almost three decades without two consecutive quarters of falling GDP until the pandemic in 2020, so the series is often quoted in discussions of resilience. Banks and the RBA read it alongside household spending and business investment to see where demand is coming from.
Mind the convention and the population. The figure is a simple quarterly change, about a quarter of the annualized rates that US releases quote, so comparisons across countries need the same basis. And because Australia's population grows faster than that of most advanced economies, a modest positive growth rate can still mean output per person is shrinking, as happened through much of 2023 and 2024. First estimates are revised, sometimes by enough to change the picture of a recent quarter.
Where it sits in history
Real GDP growth is at its highest since , when it stood at 0.90%. Within ten years, real GDP growth beats 32% of readings.
| Window | Latest is higher than | Average | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Since Q1 2006 | 23% of readings | 0.62% | 3.70% | -6.80% |
| Last ten years | 32% of readings | 0.55% | 3.70% | -6.80% |
| Last five years | 35% of readings | 0.56% | 3.70% | -1.80% |
- Real GDP growth (quarter on quarter) 0.4%
Recent readings
Last five years
- Real GDP growth (quarter on quarter) 0.4%
Latest readings
| Period | Value | Change from previous |
|---|---|---|
| 0.40% | +0.10 pp | |
| 0.30% | -0.60 pp | |
| 0.90% | +0.40 pp | |
| 0.50% | -0.30 pp | |
| 0.80% | +0.40 pp | |
| 0.40% | 0.00 pp | |
| 0.40% | +0.10 pp | |
| 0.30% | +0.10 pp |
Annual averages
By calendar-year average, real GDP growth peaked in (1.20%) and bottomed in (-0.05%). 2026 to date: 0.35%, after 0.65% in 2025.
| Year | Average | Low | High | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (part year) | 0.35% | 0.30% | 0.40% | 2 |
| 2025 | 0.65% | 0.40% | 0.90% | 4 |
| 2024 | 0.30% | 0.20% | 0.40% | 4 |
| 2023 | 0.32% | 0.00% | 0.60% | 4 |
| 2022 | 0.82% | 0.50% | 1.00% | 4 |
| 2021 | 1.20% | -1.80% | 3.70% | 4 |
| 2020 | -0.05% | -6.80% | 3.40% | 4 |
| 2019 | 0.58% | 0.30% | 0.80% | 4 |
| 2018 | 0.60% | 0.20% | 1.10% | 4 |
| 2017 | 0.57% | 0.30% | 1.00% | 4 |
| 2016 | 0.68% | 0.00% | 1.20% | 4 |
| 2015 | 0.68% | 0.10% | 1.00% | 4 |
| 2014 | 0.53% | 0.40% | 0.80% | 4 |
| 2013 | 0.62% | 0.40% | 0.80% | 4 |
| 2012 | 0.70% | 0.40% | 1.10% | 4 |
| 2011 | 0.85% | -0.30% | 1.40% | 4 |
| 2010 | 0.65% | 0.50% | 0.80% | 4 |
| 2009 | 0.68% | 0.30% | 1.00% | 4 |
| 2008 | 0.45% | -0.40% | 1.10% | 4 |
| 2007 | 0.92% | 0.40% | 1.40% | 4 |
| 2006 | 0.77% | 0.10% | 1.50% | 4 |
Same measure in other countries
Real GDP growth in Australia is above 0 of the other 2 comparable readings. Four countries compared.
| Country | Series | Latest | Period | Change on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Real GDP growth (quarter on quarter) | 0.40% | -0.40 pp | |
| Canada | Real GDP growth (quarter on quarter, not annualized) | 0.80% | Q2 2026 | +1.00 pp |
| United Kingdom | Real GDP growth (quarter on quarter) | 0.50% | Q2 2026 | +0.50 pp |
How is it measured?
Percent change in real GDP from the previous quarter, as published by the ABS.
ABS publishes real GDP growth quarterly in Australian National Accounts (5206.0), in percent and is seasonally adjusted. Code: ABS,ANA_AGG,1.0.0:M2.GPM.20.AUS.Q. Method for real GDP growth.
Questions
How high is real GDP growth in Australia now?
0.40% in (ABS), down 0.40 pp on a year earlier.
Is real GDP growth high by historical standards?
Real GDP growth beats 23% of readings since ; its peak was 3.70% (), its low -6.80% ().
When is real GDP growth updated?
Quarterly, in Australian National Accounts (5206.0). Next reading: Q3 2026.
Where can I check real GDP growth at the source?
ABS data, code ABS,ANA_AGG,1.0.0:M2.GPM.20.AUS.Q.