EXPLAINED: Bureau of statistics | Rare Historical Photos

Australia’s census is getting a stress test – keeping it going is good for everyone

The Australian Bureau of Statistics will roll out a large-scale census test next month.

The Conversation · Jul 15, 2025

New Australian data shows most of us have PFAS in our blood. How worried should we be?

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has this week released new data which tells us about the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Australians’ bodies.

The Conversation · May 29, 2025

Australia’s inflation rate jumps to 4%, putting an RBA rate rise back on the agenda

A key measure of inflation has jumped, climbing to 4% in May after edging up from a recent low of 3.4% in February.

The Conversation · Jun 26, 2024

If the PM wants wage rises, he should start with the 1.6 million people on state payrolls

If Prime Minister Anthony Albanese really wants to boost wage growth, there’s a simple way to do it.

The Conversation · Aug 23, 2022

Mortgage borrowers and renters told to brace for big financial hit by December

The full budget impact of the second most aggressive interest rate hiking cycle in the Reserve Bank's history is still months from being felt by millions of households.

ABC News · Aug 19, 2022

Australia's inflation rate is about to go monthly. Be careful what you wish for

Australia’s consumer price index is about to go monthly, meaning Australia will join most of the developed world in getting an update on inflation at the end of every month, instead of once every three months as at present.

The Conversation · Aug 17, 2022

How we invented 'unemployment' – and why we're outgrowing it

When Labor leader Anthony Albanese couldn’t quote Australia’s unemployment rate in the first week of the election campaign, many said it didn’t matter: the Australian Bureau of Statistics figure was “meaningless”; “fudged”; “manipulated”; and didn’t count all those who had registered for JobSeeker.

The Conversation · Jun 15, 2022

Expect the RBA to go easy on interest rate hikes from now on – we can't afford rates to climb as steeply as the market expects

By lifting its cash rate by 0.5 points, from 0.35% to 0.85%, the Reserve Bank has added about another $120 per month in payments for a A$500,000 mortgage.

The Conversation · Jun 7, 2022

Proof positive. Real wages are shrinking, Wednesday's figures put it beyond doubt

Every three months the Bureau of Statistics releases the lesser-known cousin of the consumer price index. It’s called the Wage Price Index (WPI) and it records changes in the overall level of wages, in the same way the price index records changes in the overall level of consumer prices.

The Conversation · May 18, 2022

Are real wages falling? Here's the evidence

You would be forgiven for being unsure about whether the buying power of wages was rising or falling. On one hand, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says wages are going backwards.

The Conversation · May 17, 2022