The monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) has remained steady at a 2.4 per cent lift in the 12 months to April 2025.
This is according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), which also shows that clothing and footwear prices are still relatively subdued compared to most other industries.
Clothing and footwear CPI is now at 0.8 per cent in the 12 months to April this year, up from 0.7 per cent recorded in the full-year to March. This is down from 1.8 per cent in the full-year to February.
Garments pricing has had a rockier time, now sitting at 0.3 per cent in the year to March, up from a 1.4 per cent deflation (fall in pricing) in the year to March.
Garments for men are the most challenged in the garment space, with CPI down 2.1 per cent in April. Womenswear pricing is up 1.9 per cent, while infant and child garments are down 1 per cent.
Speaking on overall inflation, ABS head of prices statistics Michelle Marquardt said annual CPI has been steady at 2.4 per cent for the past three months.
The largest contributors to the annual movement were food and non-alcoholic beverages (up 3.1 per cent), housing (up 2.2 per cent), and recreation and culture ( up 3.6 per cent).
When prices for some items change significantly, the ABS claim measures of underlying inflation – like the annual trimmed mean and CPI excluding volatile items and holiday travel – can give more insights into how inflation is trending.
“Annual trimmed mean inflation was 2.8 per cent in April 2025,” Marquardt said. “This was up slightly from the 2.7 per cent inflation in March and has remained relatively stable for the past five months.”
Meanwhile, CPI excluding volatile items and holiday travel rose 2.8 per cent in the 12 months to April, compared to a 2.6 per cent rise in the 12 months to March.
Annual housing inflation was 2.2 per cent in April, up from 1.8 per cent in March.
New dwelling prices rose 1.2 per in the 12 months to April, a slight uptick from a 1.0 per cent rise in the 12 months to March. This is, however, the second lowest annual increase since April 2021, according to the ABS.
Annual growth for new dwelling prices was low as project home builders offered discounts and promotional offers to entice business.
Rents rose 5 per cent in the 12 months to April, following a 5.2 per cent rise in the 12 months to March. This is the lowest annual growth in rental prices since February 2023, consistent with rising vacancy rates across most capital cities.
Electricity prices fell 6.5 per cent in the 12 months to April, compared to a 9.6 per cent fall in the 12 months to March.
Electricity rebates lower the price of electricity for households. In Queensland, most households have now used up the Queensland Government’s one-off electricity rebate of $1,000. All Western Australian households have used up the second instalment of both the State government and Commonwealth Energy Bill Relief Fund rebates.
“ Without all the Commonwealth and State government rebates, electricity prices would have risen 1.5 per cent in the 12 months to April,” Marquardt said.