Inflation & Prices•Series ID: 40081•1973–2026
Automotive Fuel & Petrol Price Inflation - Historical Data
Derived from the ABS Consumer Price Index Automotive Fuel expenditure class (Index 40081), capturing global oil shocks, refining margins, and fuel excise changes.
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Current Statistics & Historical Records
Latest Reading (2026 Q2)
6.2%
Prev (2026 Q1): 4.8%+1.4 pp
Highest Recorded (1979 Q3)
47.9%
Recorded in 1979 Q3
Lowest Recorded (2015 Q1)
-22.5%
Recorded in 2015 Q1
Long-Run Mean (1973–2026)
6.4%
54 annual observations · Quarterly
Automotive Fuel & Petrol Price Inflation - Historical Series (1973–2026)
% p.a.Drag to pan, scroll to zoom, or toggle between full annual history (1973–2026) and recent quarterly releases.
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Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (40081) Latest: 6.2 % p.a. (2026 Q2)
Automotive Fuel & Petrol Price Inflation by Decade (1973–2026)
Decade averages, peaks, and troughs across Australian economic cycles
1970s1973–1979
14.8%
High (1979):36.4%
Low (1977):6.0%
1980s1980–1989
8.7%
High (1980):22.6%
Low (1988):-3.0%
1990s1990–1999
3.0%
High (1990):22.2%
Low (1998):-5.1%
2000s2000–2009
6.4%
High (2000):23.6%
Low (2009):-15.0%
2010s2010–2019
2.4%
High (2018):12.5%
Low (2015):-12.9%
2020s2020–2026
5.3%
High (2022):24.6%
Low (2020):-11.6%
Automotive Fuel & Petrol Price Inflation - Historical Table (1973–2026)
Unit: % p.a. · Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (40081)
| Year | Fuel Inflation (% p.a.) | Year Range (Low – High) | Historical Context / Year Snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5.5% | 4.8% – 6.2% | The Australian Economy in 2026 → |
| 2025 | -3.8% | -10.0% – 1.6% | Disinflation & monetary policy recalibration |
| 2024 | -0.3% | -7.9% – 7.7% | The Australian Economy in 2024 → |
| 2023 | 2.7% | -3.6% – 8.0% | The Australian Economy in 2023 → |
| 2022 | 24.6% | 13.2% – 35.1% | Post-pandemic inflation surge & rapid RBA tightening cycle |
| 2021 | 20.2% | -3.6% – 32.3% | The Australian Economy in 2021 → |
| 2020 | -11.6% | -22.4% – 5.9% | COVID-19 pandemic shock & 0.10% cash rate floor |
| 2019 | -1.2% | -3.9% – 2.9% | The Australian Economy in 2019 → |
| 2018 | 12.5% | 6.1% – 20.8% | The Australian Economy in 2018 → |
| 2017 | 10.4% | 6.9% – 16.2% | The Australian Economy in 2017 → |
| 2016 | -7.9% | -12.7% – -1.1% | The Australian Economy in 2016 → |
| 2015 | -12.9% | -22.5% – -8.7% | The Australian Economy in 2015 → |
| 2014 | 1.2% | -8.0% – 7.7% | The Australian Economy in 2014 → |
| 2013 | 2.8% | -1.4% – 8.3% | The Australian Economy in 2013 → |
| 2012 | 2.0% | -0.7% – 5.5% | The Australian Economy in 2012 → |
| 2011 | 11.6% | 8.7% – 14.4% | China mining investment & Terms of Trade supercycle peak |
| 2010 | 5.2% | 0.3% – 8.3% | The Australian Economy in 2010 → |
| 2009 | -15.0% | -20.4% – -3.9% | The Australian Economy in 2009 → |
| 2008 | 14.5% | -4.3% – 26.1% | Global Financial Crisis (GFC) & emergency rate cuts |
| 2007 | 0.3% | -6.6% – 14.8% | The Australian Economy in 2007 → |
| 2006 | 13.3% | -1.7% – 24.4% | The Australian Economy in 2006 → |
| 2005 | 13.6% | 9.4% – 18.5% | The Australian Economy in 2005 → |
| 2004 | 8.8% | -4.4% – 16.6% | The Australian Economy in 2004 → |
| 2003 | 4.7% | -1.5% – 17.6% | The Australian Economy in 2003 → |
| 2002 | -0.8% | -8.7% – 8.3% | The Australian Economy in 2002 → |
| 2001 | 0.6% | -12.1% – 11.4% | The Australian Economy in 2001 → |
| 2000 | 23.6% | 21.5% – 24.8% | Introduction of the 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) |
| 1999 | 3.9% | -5.2% – 12.6% | The Australian Economy in 1999 → |
| 1998 | -5.1% | -7.1% – -3.2% | The Australian Economy in 1998 → |
| 1997 | 1.9% | 0.2% – 5.2% | The Australian Economy in 1997 → |
| 1996 | 2.7% | -1.0% – 4.9% | The Australian Economy in 1996 → |
| 1995 | 4.4% | 1.3% – 6.2% | The Australian Economy in 1995 → |
| 1994 | -0.1% | -2.0% – 2.0% | The Australian Economy in 1994 → |
| 1993 | -0.5% | -2.8% – 1.4% | RBA formalises 2–3% inflation targeting |
| 1992 | 2.1% | -1.3% – 4.1% | The Australian Economy in 1992 → |
| 1991 | -1.2% | -16.1% – 8.1% | Early 1990s recession ("The recession we had to have") |
| 1990 | 22.2% | 13.2% – 35.8% | Monetary tightening peak (17.5% Cash Rate) |
| 1989 | 4.6% | -9.1% – 14.9% | The Australian Economy in 1989 → |
| 1988 | -3.0% | -8.3% – 0.5% | The Australian Economy in 1988 → |
| 1987 | 5.9% | 2.5% – 12.9% | October 1987 sharemarket crash |
| 1986 | -0.8% | -10.2% – 10.7% | The Australian Economy in 1986 → |
| 1985 | 10.4% | 5.5% – 13.6% | The Australian Economy in 1985 → |
| 1984 | 8.9% | 3.2% – 16.6% | The Australian Economy in 1984 → |
| 1983 | 12.5% | 6.1% – 20.2% | Float of the Australian Dollar & Prices and Incomes Accord |
| 1982 | 8.9% | -0.8% – 17.2% | Early 1980s recession & drought |
| 1981 | 16.6% | 12.3% – 21.6% | The Australian Economy in 1981 → |
| 1980 | 22.6% | 10.5% – 32.9% | The Australian Economy in 1980 → |
| 1979 | 36.4% | 25.4% – 47.9% | The Australian Economy in 1979 → |
| 1978 | 11.8% | 8.0% – 20.7% | The Australian Economy in 1978 → |
| 1977 | 6.0% | 3.7% – 12.6% | The Australian Economy in 1977 → |
| 1976 | 8.7% | 1.0% – 13.0% | The Australian Economy in 1976 → |
| 1975 | 18.4% | 12.9% – 24.4% | The Australian Economy in 1975 → |
| 1974 | 15.0% | 6.5% – 19.7% | 1974 wage explosion & stagflation peak |
| 1973 | 7.3% | 1.4% – 13.2% | First OPEC oil shock |
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Source Information & Methodology
- Primary Institution:
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
- Dataset / Publication:
- Consumer Price Index - Automotive Fuel
- Series / Table ID:
- ABS Dataflow CPI_Q (40081)
- Release Frequency:
- Quarterly
• Primary source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) - Consumer Price Index - Automotive Fuel (ABS Dataflow CPI_Q).
• Observation frequency: Quarterly. Annual table values represent calendar year averages.
• Series coverage spans 1973 to 2026 (54 annual observations).
APA Citation:Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2026). Consumer Price Index - Automotive Fuel (Dataflow CPI_Q: 40081). Retrieved October 2026 from https://data.api.abs.gov.au
Frequently Asked Questions: Automotive Fuel & Petrol Price Inflation
- What is the current Automotive Fuel & Petrol Price Inflation?
- As of 2026 Q2, the latest recorded Automotive Fuel & Petrol Price Inflation is 6.2 (% p.a.), compared with 4.8 in 2026 Q1.
- What is the highest and lowest Automotive Fuel & Petrol Price Inflation ever recorded in Australia?
- Across the historical series (1973–2026), the highest observation was 47.9 (% p.a.) in 1979 Q3, while the lowest was -22.5 (% p.a.) in 2015 Q1. The long-run historical average is 6.4.
- Where is the official Automotive Fuel & Petrol Price Inflation data sourced from?
- This series is compiled from Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (Consumer Price Index - Automotive Fuel, Series ID: 40081) and is updated on a quarterly basis under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).