Economic Growth•Series ID: GGDPICHRDIY•1960–2026
Real Household Disposable Income Growth - Historical Data
Captures the combined effect of wages, employment, investment income, taxes, interest rates, and inflation on household purchasing power.
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Current Statistics & Historical Records
Latest Reading (2026 Q2)
2.3%
Prev (2026 Q1): 1.9%+0.4 pp
Highest Recorded (1973 Q3)
12.2%
First OPEC oil shock
Lowest Recorded (1983 Q2)
-4.4%
Float of the Australian Dollar & Prices and Incomes Accord
Long-Run Mean (1960–2026)
3.2%
67 annual observations · Quarterly
Real Household Disposable Income Growth - Historical Series (1960–2026)
% p.a.Drag to pan, scroll to zoom, or toggle between full annual history (1960–2026) and recent quarterly releases.
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Source: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (GGDPICHRDIY) Latest: 2.3 % p.a. (2026 Q2)
Real Household Disposable Income Growth by Decade (1960–2026)
Decade averages, peaks, and troughs across Australian economic cycles
1960s1960–1969
4.4%
High (1969):7.5%
Low (1961):0.5%
1970s1970–1979
3.4%
High (1973):9.2%
Low (1976):0.3%
1980s1980–1989
2.5%
High (1989):6.3%
Low (1987):0.1%
1990s1990–1999
2.4%
High (1999):4.6%
Low (1991):-1.8%
2000s2000–2009
4.5%
High (2004):7.0%
Low (2002):1.2%
2010s2010–2019
2.5%
High (2011):5.2%
Low (2012):1.0%
2020s2020–2026
2.2%
High (2020):5.4%
Low (2023):-2.5%
Real Household Disposable Income Growth - Historical Table (1960–2026)
Unit: % p.a. · Source: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (GGDPICHRDIY)
| Year | Real Disposable Income (% p.a.) | Year Range (Low – High) | Historical Context / Year Snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2.1% | 1.9% – 2.3% | The Australian Economy in 2026 → |
| 2025 | 4.3% | 3.8% – 4.8% | Disinflation & monetary policy recalibration |
| 2024 | 2.3% | 1.4% – 3.3% | The Australian Economy in 2024 → |
| 2023 | -2.5% | -3.9% – 0.4% | The Australian Economy in 2023 → |
| 2022 | 0.4% | -2.5% – 3.1% | Post-pandemic inflation surge & rapid RBA tightening cycle |
| 2021 | 3.1% | 0.5% – 5.4% | The Australian Economy in 2021 → |
| 2020 | 5.4% | 2.3% – 7.4% | COVID-19 pandemic shock & 0.10% cash rate floor |
| 2019 | 2.0% | 1.2% – 3.0% | The Australian Economy in 2019 → |
| 2018 | 2.6% | 2.3% – 2.9% | The Australian Economy in 2018 → |
| 2017 | 1.9% | 1.3% – 2.5% | The Australian Economy in 2017 → |
| 2016 | 1.5% | 1.0% – 2.5% | The Australian Economy in 2016 → |
| 2015 | 2.1% | 0.4% – 3.0% | The Australian Economy in 2015 → |
| 2014 | 3.6% | 2.7% – 4.1% | The Australian Economy in 2014 → |
| 2013 | 2.2% | 0.6% – 3.2% | The Australian Economy in 2013 → |
| 2012 | 1.0% | -0.3% – 2.8% | The Australian Economy in 2012 → |
| 2011 | 5.2% | 3.5% – 6.4% | China mining investment & Terms of Trade supercycle peak |
| 2010 | 3.4% | 0.0% – 6.4% | The Australian Economy in 2010 → |
| 2009 | 4.1% | -0.4% – 7.5% | The Australian Economy in 2009 → |
| 2008 | 6.2% | 4.8% – 9.0% | Global Financial Crisis (GFC) & emergency rate cuts |
| 2007 | 6.6% | 5.5% – 8.7% | The Australian Economy in 2007 → |
| 2006 | 3.3% | 0.4% – 6.4% | The Australian Economy in 2006 → |
| 2005 | 4.4% | 2.2% – 6.3% | The Australian Economy in 2005 → |
| 2004 | 7.0% | 6.1% – 8.7% | The Australian Economy in 2004 → |
| 2003 | 3.6% | -0.6% – 6.0% | The Australian Economy in 2003 → |
| 2002 | 1.2% | -2.2% – 6.0% | The Australian Economy in 2002 → |
| 2001 | 4.9% | 2.3% – 8.0% | The Australian Economy in 2001 → |
| 2000 | 4.2% | 0.8% – 7.1% | Introduction of the 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) |
| 1999 | 4.6% | 2.8% – 6.2% | The Australian Economy in 1999 → |
| 1998 | 1.2% | 0.5% – 2.0% | The Australian Economy in 1998 → |
| 1997 | 3.9% | 3.1% – 4.3% | The Australian Economy in 1997 → |
| 1996 | 4.1% | 3.0% – 4.9% | The Australian Economy in 1996 → |
| 1995 | 2.2% | 0.7% – 3.1% | The Australian Economy in 1995 → |
| 1994 | 4.3% | 3.2% – 5.0% | The Australian Economy in 1994 → |
| 1993 | 1.0% | -0.5% – 2.0% | RBA formalises 2–3% inflation targeting |
| 1992 | 2.4% | 1.5% – 3.0% | The Australian Economy in 1992 → |
| 1991 | -1.8% | -3.2% – -0.5% | Early 1990s recession ("The recession we had to have") |
| 1990 | 2.1% | -0.7% – 4.0% | Monetary tightening peak (17.5% Cash Rate) |
| 1989 | 6.3% | 5.1% – 7.0% | The Australian Economy in 1989 → |
| 1988 | 3.9% | 1.7% – 6.9% | The Australian Economy in 1988 → |
| 1987 | 0.1% | -1.8% – 2.4% | October 1987 sharemarket crash |
| 1986 | 1.2% | -0.2% – 2.6% | The Australian Economy in 1986 → |
| 1985 | 1.6% | 0.1% – 2.4% | The Australian Economy in 1985 → |
| 1984 | 2.7% | -1.0% – 6.9% | The Australian Economy in 1984 → |
| 1983 | 0.7% | -4.4% – 4.5% | Float of the Australian Dollar & Prices and Incomes Accord |
| 1982 | 2.5% | 0.0% – 4.4% | Early 1980s recession & drought |
| 1981 | 3.7% | 3.3% – 4.2% | The Australian Economy in 1981 → |
| 1980 | 2.3% | -0.2% – 4.1% | The Australian Economy in 1980 → |
| 1979 | 1.5% | -0.5% – 2.9% | The Australian Economy in 1979 → |
| 1978 | 3.5% | 2.0% – 6.0% | The Australian Economy in 1978 → |
| 1977 | 1.0% | -2.9% – 4.3% | The Australian Economy in 1977 → |
| 1976 | 0.3% | -4.0% – 4.0% | The Australian Economy in 1976 → |
| 1975 | 1.4% | -0.7% – 3.8% | The Australian Economy in 1975 → |
| 1974 | 4.5% | -0.2% – 8.7% | 1974 wage explosion & stagflation peak |
| 1973 | 9.2% | 7.5% – 12.2% | First OPEC oil shock |
| 1972 | 3.3% | 1.2% – 6.4% | The Australian Economy in 1972 → |
| 1971 | 4.7% | 2.6% – 8.2% | The Australian Economy in 1971 → |
| 1970 | 4.9% | 0.8% – 7.7% | The Australian Economy in 1970 → |
| 1969 | 7.5% | 5.8% – 9.1% | The Australian Economy in 1969 → |
| 1968 | 3.6% | -1.5% – 7.5% | The Australian Economy in 1968 → |
| 1967 | 6.1% | 3.7% – 9.6% | The Australian Economy in 1967 → |
| 1966 | 4.5% | 1.0% – 8.4% | Decimal currency transition (£ to AUD) |
| 1965 | 2.3% | 0.3% – 4.9% | The Australian Economy in 1965 → |
| 1964 | 5.8% | 2.7% – 8.2% | The Australian Economy in 1964 → |
| 1963 | 6.8% | 3.7% – 10.2% | The Australian Economy in 1963 → |
| 1962 | 4.9% | 1.7% – 6.6% | The Australian Economy in 1962 → |
| 1961 | 0.5% | -0.7% – 2.8% | Menzies credit squeeze |
| 1960 | 1.6% | 1.5% – 1.8% | The Australian Economy in 1960 → |
Related Australian Economic Statistics
Source Information & Methodology
- Primary Institution:
- Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
- Dataset / Publication:
- Real Household Disposable Income - Year-Ended Growth
- Series / Table ID:
- RBA Statistical Table H2 (GGDPICHRDIY)
- Release Frequency:
- Quarterly
• Primary source: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) - Real Household Disposable Income - Year-Ended Growth (RBA Statistical Table H2).
• Observation frequency: Quarterly. Annual table values represent calendar year averages.
• Series coverage spans 1960 to 2026 (67 annual observations).
APA Citation:Reserve Bank of Australia & Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2026). Real Household Disposable Income - Year-Ended Growth (H2: GGDPICHRDIY). Retrieved October 2026 from https://www.rba.gov.au/statistics/tables/
Frequently Asked Questions: Real Household Disposable Income Growth
- What is the current Real Household Disposable Income Growth?
- As of 2026 Q2, the latest recorded Real Household Disposable Income Growth is 2.3 (% p.a.), compared with 1.9 in 2026 Q1.
- What is the highest and lowest Real Household Disposable Income Growth ever recorded in Australia?
- Across the historical series (1960–2026), the highest observation was 12.2 (% p.a.) in 1973 Q3, while the lowest was -4.4 (% p.a.) in 1983 Q2. The long-run historical average is 3.2.
- Where is the official Real Household Disposable Income Growth data sourced from?
- This series is compiled from Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (Real Household Disposable Income - Year-Ended Growth, Series ID: GGDPICHRDIY) and is updated on a quarterly basis under CC BY 4.0 International / RBA Terms.