Australian wages
See how the purchasing power of wages has changed in Australia over time
Compare wage growth with rising prices. Choose a starting year and see the change!
Public-sector buying power decreased after 2019
| Year | Public-sector real wages | Public-sector nominal wages | Inflation (CPI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| 2020 | 100.8 | 102.1 | 100.6 |
| 2021 | 99.1 | 104.2 | 104.6 |
| 2022 | 96.7 | 107.2 | 110.0 |
| 2023 | 95.9 | 111.2 | 114.1 |
| 2024 | 96.6 | 115.6 | 116.8 |
| 2025 | 97.4 | 119.5 | 118.5 |
The chart, summarised
From 2019 to 2025, public-sector nominal wages rose 19.5%. Inflation (CPI) rose 18.5%.
After adjusting for prices, public-sector wages lost 2.6% of their buying power between 2019 and 2025. The typical wage increase did not fully keep pace with inflation.
How this is calculatedFormula, annual averages and index rebasing+
Real wages are the wage index divided by the CPI index, multiplied by 100. Quarterly observations are averaged into calendar years. Every line is rebased so the selected year equals 100.
Sources and important limitsSeries identifiers, coverage and snapshot date+
The finished version will cite each ABS series and state-government source here. GDP per hour worked describes the whole economy and must not be read as public-sector productivity. Jurisdictional data may differ in coverage and timing.