Employment & Wages•Series ID: GWPIYP•1998–2026
Wage Price Index (WPI) Annual Growth - Historical Data
The Wage Price Index (WPI) is Australia’s primary benchmark of pure wage inflation, holding the quality and quantity of work constant.
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Current Statistics & Historical Records
Latest Reading (2026 Q2)
3.2%
Prev (2026 Q1): 3.2%0.0 pp
Highest Recorded (2006 Q4)
4.3%
Recorded in 2006 Q4
Lowest Recorded (2020 Q4)
1.3%
COVID-19 pandemic shock & 0.10% cash rate floor
Long-Run Mean (1998–2026)
3.1%
29 annual observations · Quarterly
Wage Price Index (WPI) Annual Growth - Historical Series (1998–2026)
% p.a.Drag to pan, scroll to zoom, or toggle between full annual history (1998–2026) and recent quarterly releases.
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Source: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (GWPIYP) Latest: 3.2 % p.a. (2026 Q2)
Wage Price Index (WPI) Annual Growth by Decade (1998–2026)
Decade averages, peaks, and troughs across Australian economic cycles
1990s1998–1999
3.2%
High (1998):3.2%
Low (1999):3.1%
2000s2000–2009
3.7%
High (2008):4.2%
Low (2000):3.1%
2010s2010–2019
2.7%
High (2011):3.7%
Low (2016):2.0%
2020s2020–2026
3.0%
High (2023):3.9%
Low (2020):1.7%
Wage Price Index (WPI) Annual Growth - Historical Table (1998–2026)
Unit: % p.a. · Source: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (GWPIYP)
| Year | Wage Growth (WPI) (% p.a.) | Year Range (Low – High) | Historical Context / Year Snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3.2% | 3.2% | The Australian Economy in 2026 → |
| 2025 | 3.4% | 3.3% – 3.5% | Disinflation & monetary policy recalibration |
| 2024 | 3.7% | 3.2% – 4.1% | The Australian Economy in 2024 → |
| 2023 | 3.9% | 3.7% – 4.3% | The Australian Economy in 2023 → |
| 2022 | 2.8% | 2.4% – 3.3% | Post-pandemic inflation surge & rapid RBA tightening cycle |
| 2021 | 2.0% | 1.5% – 2.4% | The Australian Economy in 2021 → |
| 2020 | 1.7% | 1.3% – 2.2% | COVID-19 pandemic shock & 0.10% cash rate floor |
| 2019 | 2.2% | 2.2% – 2.3% | The Australian Economy in 2019 → |
| 2018 | 2.2% | 2.0% – 2.3% | The Australian Economy in 2018 → |
| 2017 | 2.0% | 1.9% – 2.1% | The Australian Economy in 2017 → |
| 2016 | 2.0% | 1.9% – 2.1% | The Australian Economy in 2016 → |
| 2015 | 2.3% | 2.2% – 2.3% | The Australian Economy in 2015 → |
| 2014 | 2.6% | 2.5% – 2.7% | The Australian Economy in 2014 → |
| 2013 | 2.8% | 2.6% – 3.1% | The Australian Economy in 2013 → |
| 2012 | 3.6% | 3.4% – 3.8% | The Australian Economy in 2012 → |
| 2011 | 3.7% | 3.6% – 3.9% | China mining investment & Terms of Trade supercycle peak |
| 2010 | 3.4% | 3.0% – 3.9% | The Australian Economy in 2010 → |
| 2009 | 3.4% | 2.9% – 4.1% | The Australian Economy in 2009 → |
| 2008 | 4.2% | 4.1% – 4.3% | Global Financial Crisis (GFC) & emergency rate cuts |
| 2007 | 4.1% | 3.9% – 4.3% | The Australian Economy in 2007 → |
| 2006 | 4.1% | 4.0% – 4.3% | The Australian Economy in 2006 → |
| 2005 | 4.0% | 3.9% – 4.2% | The Australian Economy in 2005 → |
| 2004 | 3.6% | 3.5% – 3.7% | The Australian Economy in 2004 → |
| 2003 | 3.6% | 3.6% – 3.7% | The Australian Economy in 2003 → |
| 2002 | 3.3% | 3.1% – 3.4% | The Australian Economy in 2002 → |
| 2001 | 3.6% | 3.4% – 3.8% | The Australian Economy in 2001 → |
| 2000 | 3.1% | 2.7% – 3.4% | Introduction of the 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) |
| 1999 | 3.1% | 3.0% – 3.1% | The Australian Economy in 1999 → |
| 1998 | 3.2% | 3.1% – 3.3% | The Australian Economy in 1998 → |
Related Australian Economic Statistics
Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE)Employment & Wages · 2012–2026
$2,084May 2026
Australian Inflation Rate (CPI)Inflation & Prices · 1923–2026
3.9%2026 Q2
Non-Farm Labour Productivity GrowthEmployment & Wages · 1986–2026
-0.3%2026 Q2
Australian Unemployment RateEmployment & Wages · 1950–2026
4.7%Sep 2026
Compare Wage Growth (WPI) against another indicator →
Source Information & Methodology
- Primary Institution:
- Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
- Dataset / Publication:
- Labour Costs - Wage Price Index Year-Ended Change
- Series / Table ID:
- RBA Statistical Table H4 (GWPIYP)
- Release Frequency:
- Quarterly
• Primary source: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) - Labour Costs - Wage Price Index Year-Ended Change (RBA Statistical Table H4).
• Observation frequency: Quarterly. Annual table values represent calendar year averages.
• Series coverage spans 1998 to 2026 (29 annual observations).
APA Citation:Reserve Bank of Australia & Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2026). Labour Costs - Wage Price Index Year-Ended Change (H4: GWPIYP). Retrieved October 2026 from https://www.rba.gov.au/statistics/tables/
Frequently Asked Questions: Wage Price Index (WPI) Annual Growth
- What is the current Wage Price Index (WPI) Annual Growth?
- As of 2026 Q2, the latest recorded Wage Price Index (WPI) Annual Growth is 3.2 (% p.a.), compared with 3.2 in 2026 Q1.
- What is the highest and lowest Wage Price Index (WPI) Annual Growth ever recorded in Australia?
- Across the historical series (1998–2026), the highest observation was 4.3 (% p.a.) in 2006 Q4, while the lowest was 1.3 (% p.a.) in 2020 Q4. The long-run historical average is 3.1.
- Where is the official Wage Price Index (WPI) Annual Growth data sourced from?
- This series is compiled from Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (Labour Costs - Wage Price Index Year-Ended Change, Series ID: GWPIYP) and is updated on a quarterly basis under CC BY 4.0 International / RBA Terms.