Employment & Wages•Series ID: GNFPROSQP•1986–2026
Non-Farm Labour Productivity Growth - Historical Data
Labour productivity growth is the fundamental long-run driver of real wages and Australian living standards.
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Current Statistics & Historical Records
Latest Reading (2026 Q2)
-0.3%
Prev (2026 Q1): 0.0%-0.3 pp
Highest Recorded (1992 Q4)
4.9%
Recorded in 1992 Q4
Lowest Recorded (2023 Q1)
-5.6%
Recorded in 2023 Q1
Long-Run Mean (1986–2026)
1.0%
41 annual observations · Quarterly
Non-Farm Labour Productivity Growth - Historical Series (1986–2026)
% p.a.Drag to pan, scroll to zoom, or toggle between full annual history (1986–2026) and recent quarterly releases.
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Source: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (GNFPROSQP) Latest: -0.3 % p.a. (2026 Q2)
Non-Farm Labour Productivity Growth by Decade (1986–2026)
Decade averages, peaks, and troughs across Australian economic cycles
1980s1986–1989
-0.2%
High (1987):2.4%
Low (1986):-2.6%
1990s1990–1999
2.0%
High (1997):3.9%
Low (1995):-0.6%
2000s2000–2009
1.3%
High (2002):3.3%
Low (2005):-0.9%
2010s2010–2019
1.0%
High (2012):3.0%
Low (2017):-0.4%
2020s2020–2026
0.0%
High (2020):2.4%
Low (2023):-3.0%
Non-Farm Labour Productivity Growth - Historical Table (1986–2026)
Unit: % p.a. · Source: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (GNFPROSQP)
| Year | Labour Productivity (% p.a.) | Year Range (Low – High) | Historical Context / Year Snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | -0.1% | -0.3% – 0.0% | The Australian Economy in 2026 → |
| 2025 | 0.1% | -1.1% – 0.9% | Disinflation & monetary policy recalibration |
| 2024 | 0.2% | -1.1% – 1.5% | The Australian Economy in 2024 → |
| 2023 | -3.0% | -5.6% – 0.1% | The Australian Economy in 2023 → |
| 2022 | -0.8% | -3.9% – 1.8% | Post-pandemic inflation surge & rapid RBA tightening cycle |
| 2021 | 1.1% | -0.8% – 2.1% | The Australian Economy in 2021 → |
| 2020 | 2.4% | 1.6% – 3.3% | COVID-19 pandemic shock & 0.10% cash rate floor |
| 2019 | 0.2% | -0.6% – 0.9% | The Australian Economy in 2019 → |
| 2018 | 0.6% | 0.3% – 0.8% | The Australian Economy in 2018 → |
| 2017 | -0.4% | -0.9% – 0.0% | The Australian Economy in 2017 → |
| 2016 | 1.6% | 1.3% – 2.0% | The Australian Economy in 2016 → |
| 2015 | 0.3% | 0.0% – 0.6% | The Australian Economy in 2015 → |
| 2014 | 2.4% | 1.6% – 3.1% | The Australian Economy in 2014 → |
| 2013 | 1.4% | 0.7% – 2.4% | The Australian Economy in 2013 → |
| 2012 | 3.0% | 2.4% – 3.6% | The Australian Economy in 2012 → |
| 2011 | 0.8% | -1.4% – 2.3% | China mining investment & Terms of Trade supercycle peak |
| 2010 | 0.3% | -0.3% – 1.9% | The Australian Economy in 2010 → |
| 2009 | 2.6% | 0.7% – 3.3% | The Australian Economy in 2009 → |
| 2008 | -0.9% | -1.5% – -0.4% | Global Financial Crisis (GFC) & emergency rate cuts |
| 2007 | 1.4% | 0.6% – 2.0% | The Australian Economy in 2007 → |
| 2006 | 0.7% | 0.1% – 0.9% | The Australian Economy in 2006 → |
| 2005 | -0.9% | -1.8% – 0.3% | The Australian Economy in 2005 → |
| 2004 | 2.0% | 0.7% – 2.8% | The Australian Economy in 2004 → |
| 2003 | 1.1% | -0.2% – 2.0% | The Australian Economy in 2003 → |
| 2002 | 3.3% | 2.2% – 4.7% | The Australian Economy in 2002 → |
| 2001 | 3.1% | 2.1% – 4.3% | The Australian Economy in 2001 → |
| 2000 | 0.4% | -0.5% – 0.8% | Introduction of the 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) |
| 1999 | 2.5% | 1.1% – 3.7% | The Australian Economy in 1999 → |
| 1998 | 3.0% | 1.3% – 4.2% | The Australian Economy in 1998 → |
| 1997 | 3.9% | 2.2% – 4.7% | The Australian Economy in 1997 → |
| 1996 | 2.4% | 1.4% – 3.9% | The Australian Economy in 1996 → |
| 1995 | -0.6% | -2.0% – 0.4% | The Australian Economy in 1995 → |
| 1994 | 1.4% | 0.6% – 2.3% | The Australian Economy in 1994 → |
| 1993 | 2.6% | -0.1% – 3.8% | RBA formalises 2–3% inflation targeting |
| 1992 | 2.8% | 2.0% – 4.9% | The Australian Economy in 1992 → |
| 1991 | 1.8% | 0.9% – 3.2% | Early 1990s recession ("The recession we had to have") |
| 1990 | 0.6% | -1.1% – 3.0% | Monetary tightening peak (17.5% Cash Rate) |
| 1989 | -1.2% | -1.5% – -0.6% | The Australian Economy in 1989 → |
| 1988 | 0.7% | -1.4% – 2.3% | The Australian Economy in 1988 → |
| 1987 | 2.4% | 0.3% – 3.8% | October 1987 sharemarket crash |
| 1986 | -2.6% | -3.8% – -1.5% | The Australian Economy in 1986 → |
Related Australian Economic Statistics
Source Information & Methodology
- Primary Institution:
- Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
- Dataset / Publication:
- Non-Farm Labour Productivity Per Hour - Year-Ended Growth
- Series / Table ID:
- RBA Statistical Table H4 (GNFPROSQP)
- Release Frequency:
- Quarterly
• Primary source: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) - Non-Farm Labour Productivity Per Hour - Year-Ended Growth (RBA Statistical Table H4).
• Observation frequency: Quarterly. Annual table values represent calendar year averages.
• Series coverage spans 1986 to 2026 (41 annual observations).
APA Citation:Reserve Bank of Australia & Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2026). Non-Farm Labour Productivity Per Hour - Year-Ended Growth (H4: GNFPROSQP). Retrieved October 2026 from https://www.rba.gov.au/statistics/tables/
Frequently Asked Questions: Non-Farm Labour Productivity Growth
- What is the current Non-Farm Labour Productivity Growth?
- As of 2026 Q2, the latest recorded Non-Farm Labour Productivity Growth is -0.3 (% p.a.), compared with 0.0 in 2026 Q1.
- What is the highest and lowest Non-Farm Labour Productivity Growth ever recorded in Australia?
- Across the historical series (1986–2026), the highest observation was 4.9 (% p.a.) in 1992 Q4, while the lowest was -5.6 (% p.a.) in 2023 Q1. The long-run historical average is 1.0.
- Where is the official Non-Farm Labour Productivity Growth data sourced from?
- This series is compiled from Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (Non-Farm Labour Productivity Per Hour - Year-Ended Growth, Series ID: GNFPROSQP) and is updated on a quarterly basis under CC BY 4.0 International / RBA Terms.