The Australian economy in 2026: Interest rates, inflation and property prices

Australia is heading into 2026 with a familiar tension at the heart of the economy: inflation has re-accelerated, the Reserve Bank is being pushed back toward “higher for longer” settings, and the housing market is still trying to climb despite stretched affordability.

If you’re a household with a mortgage, a renter, a small business owner, or anyone watching property like a hawk, the next few months will feel like a fork in the road. The hard part is that the three headline variables—interest rates, inflation, and property prices—don’t move in a neat straight line. They interact, they lag, and they often send mixed signals.

Here’s where things stand right now, and how to think about what comes next.

1) Where interest rates sit—and why February matters

As at late January 2026, the RBA’s cash rate target is 3.60% (effective 10 December 2025), with the next scheduled update due 3 February 2026.

That timing matters because the latest inflation print (released 28 January 2026) has reset expectations and market pricing. In plain English: the RBA was cutting through 2025, betting inflation would keep cooling. The latest data says inflation isn’t done yet—so the “cutting phase” may be paused, or even partially reversed.

How the cash rate actually hits households and businesses

The cash rate is not your mortgage rate, but it is the anchor for the whole interest-rate complex:

• Variable mortgages typically reprice quickly when banks move (often within days to weeks).

• Fixed-rate borrowers don’t feel it immediately, but refinancing becomes more expensive as fixed-rate offers rise.

• Business lending—especially overdrafts and variable commercial facilities—often reprices fast.

• Consumer demand cools (or heats) with changes in borrowing capacity, repayment stress, and confidence.

This is the “transmission mechanism” policymakers talk about: raise rates → slow spending and borrowing → reduce inflation pressure (eventually). The key word is eventually.

2) Inflation: the data just turned hotter again

The ABS CPI release for December 2025 shows:

• CPI rose 3.8% over the year to December 2025, up from 3.4% in November.

• Trimmed mean inflation rose 3.3% over the year, up from 3.2% in November.

• The largest contributors to annual inflation were Housing (+5.5%), Food and non-alcoholic beverages (+3.4%), and Recreation and culture (+4.4%).

Two points matter here:

A) Headline inflation vs “underlying” inflation

Headline CPI can jump around due to volatile items and policy effects. The trimmed mean is designed to strip out extremes and better reflect persistent inflation pressure. When trimmed mean lifts, central bankers pay attention because it’s harder to dismiss as a “one-off.”

B) Housing is doing a lot of the heavy lifting

The data says housing inflation is still running too hot. Housing inflation often reflects rents, insurance, utilities, construction costs, and the broader “cost to live somewhere” problem. If housing costs remain sticky, inflation remains sticky.

The Guardian’s reporting on the same December inflation result highlights some of the drivers (including electricity price impacts and rents), reinforcing why markets quickly shifted toward expecting tighter policy settings.

3) The broader economy: not booming, but not collapsing either

A quick snapshot of the wider macro backdrop:

• Australia’s economy grew 0.4% in the September quarter 2025, and 2.1% over the year.

• The labour market remained comparatively tight: the ABS Labour Force release shows unemployment at 4.1% (seasonally adjusted) in December 2025.

This matters because inflation isn’t just about “prices going up.” It’s about whether the economy is running above capacity (demand > supply) or below capacity. A low-ish unemployment rate can keep wage and service-price pressures firm, even when households feel squeezed.

The RBA’s own November 2025 Statement on Monetary Policy was explicit that inflation could stay above target for a while, with unemployment expected to stabilise around the mid-4s and inflation only gradually returning toward the middle of the target band over time.

4) Property prices: still rising, but facing tougher physics

What the latest housing data says

Cotality’s Home Value Index commentary entering 2026 indicates:

• Home values rose strongly through 2025; the Home Value Index was up 8.6% over 2025, adding roughly $71,400 to the national median dwelling value (per their estimate).

• The same housing chart pack notes Australia’s total residential real estate value rose to about $12.3 trillion in December.

So property didn’t roll over in 2025—it pushed higher.

Why prices can rise even when affordability is awful

Australia’s housing market is not just a story of “rates up, prices down” or “rates down, prices up.” It’s a three-body problem:

1. Demand: population growth, household formation, investor appetite, wage growth, and credit availability.

2. Supply: approvals, construction capacity, labour/material constraints, and planning bottlenecks.

3. Cost of capital: the interest-rate environment, banks’ serviceability buffers, and risk appetite.

If supply is tight enough, prices can keep rising even with elevated rates—just more unevenly across cities, suburbs, and dwelling types.

But higher rates do bite—through borrowing capacity

Property prices are highly sensitive to credit capacity. If variable mortgage rates rise, banks assess repayments higher, borrowing limits fall, and marginal buyers get priced out. That tends to:

• reduce auction clearance momentum,

• lengthen days on market,

• shift bargaining power to buyers (at least temporarily),

• and slow price growth (or create declines) at the margin.

So if the RBA hikes (or signals it might), housing doesn’t necessarily crash—but it can lose speed.

5) The loop: inflation → rates → housing → inflation (again)

Here’s the feedback loop Australians are living through:

1. Inflation rises (especially in housing and essentials).

2. The RBA leans tighter (or pauses cuts / hikes).

3. Mortgage costs rise → households cut discretionary spending.

4. Businesses see weaker demand → pricing power softens (eventually).

5. But if rents, insurance, and utilities stay hot, inflation stays sticky—forcing policymakers to stay tough longer.

The housing component is the trap: housing costs are both a driver of inflation and a sector highly sensitive to rates. Policymakers can cool some demand, but they can’t instantly build supply.

6) Scenarios for 2026: three ways this can play out

No one gets a guaranteed script—especially when global energy prices, supply chains, geopolitics, and domestic policy can all throw shocks into the system. But the plausible scenarios look like this:

Scenario A: “Inflation bump, one insurance hike, then back to neutral”

If December’s jump proves partly temporary and subsequent prints settle, the RBA could do a small hike (or simply hold) and then revert to a wait-and-see stance.

• Rates: small rise or prolonged hold

• Inflation: drifts down slowly

• Property: softer growth; uneven conditions; quality assets hold up best

Market commentary and bank-watch reporting suggest expectations have shifted toward at least the possibility of a February hike after the latest CPI result.

Scenario B: “Sticky housing inflation keeps policy tight”

If housing-related inflation (rents, insurance, utilities) stays elevated, the RBA may keep settings tight longer than households hope.

• Rates: stay restrictive for longer

• Inflation: falls slowly; core stays above target longer

• Property: price growth capped; higher stress; more forced sales at the margin

Scenario C: “Growth slows faster than expected—disinflation returns”

If consumption cracks under the weight of repayments and cost of living, the economy could slow materially, cooling inflation and eventually reopening the door to cuts.

• Rates: later cuts resume

• Inflation: falls faster

• Property: brief softness followed by renewed pressure (if credit loosens and supply stays tight)

7) Practical takeaways for Australians (not theory—what to do with this)

For mortgage holders

• Treat 2026 as a risk-management year: keep buffers, review spending, and stress-test repayments for another 0.25–0.50%.

• If you’re refinancing soon, shop hard and don’t ignore offset accounts—cashflow flexibility is a hidden superpower in volatile policy cycles.

For renters

• Housing inflation is still a major driver of CPI.
  That usually correlates with ongoing rent pressure, especially where vacancy is tight. Consider negotiating longer lease terms if you value stability, and compare “moving costs” against rent increases (moving is expensive and time-consuming).

For buyers

• Don’t anchor to a single narrative (“rates up means crash” or “Australia never falls”).

• In a tightening-risk environment, focus on:

  • borrowing capacity first,

  • repayment resilience second,

  • asset quality third (location, scarcity, fundamentals).

For small businesses

• Watch consumer demand closely. Higher repayments can hit discretionary spending faster than many operators expect.

• Where possible, lock in supplier contracts, review pricing strategy, and protect working capital—because volatility is what kills margin.

Bottom line

Australia starts 2026 with inflation picking up again and the RBA’s next decision looming. The latest CPI shows headline inflation at 3.8% and trimmed mean at 3.3%—both moving the wrong way relative to the RBA’s comfort zone. Meanwhile, the cash rate target is 3.60% with the next update due 3 February 2026, and markets are alive to the risk that the easing cycle pauses or partially reverses.

Property is the wildcard: it rose strongly through 2025, but it’s now bumping into the hard constraints of affordability and “rate sensitivity,” even as supply pressures keep a floor under many markets.

Disclaimer - The information in the article is general and not specific to anyone's financial situation. Obtain advice from licensed professionals before making any monetary or legal commitments.

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