Economic snapshot: 5 things to watch this month

Get up to speed with the latest economic update, offering insights into Australia's financial landscape.

William Capada's headshot
Graham Cooke's headshot

By

William Capada

&

Graham Cooke

Updated

Australia's economic landscape is in a state of flux. Data from Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker (CST), the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), and CoreLogic (now called Cotality) reveals rising home loans, climbing property prices, and increasing credit card spending. To navigate these dynamic trends, it's essential to stay informed. Our latest economic update provides a deep dive into these key indicators, analyzing their causes and exploring the potential ripple effects on your personal finances.

Highlights

  • In January 2026, credit card purchases reached a record $40.5 billion, up 10.0% year on year, while debit card spending rose 9.4% to $55.6 billion.
  • Household spending in Australia was $79.0 billion in January, including $41.2 billion on goods and $37.8 billion on services.
  • The unemployment rate increased to 4.3%.
  • The ABS reported the total value of residential dwellings in Australia rose to $12.3 trillion in December quarter 2025, as the number of dwellings increased by 54,100 to 11,452,200. The average price of a home climbed $28,700 to $1,074,700.
  • The ABS reported that 6.5% of employed Australians held multiple jobs, with higher rates among women (7.1%) and workers aged 20 to 24 (10.5%). By industry, community and personal service workers recorded the highest rate at 10.7%.

Credit Card and Debit Card Usage Trends

In January 2026, The total value of credit card purchases in Australia reached a record $40.5 billion, up 10.0% over the year. The number of purchase grew 7.0% to 337 million, while the average spend per card reached $3,316.

Debit purchases totaled $55.6 billion, 9.4% higher than a year earlier. Transactions rose 4.0%to 1.0 billion, with the average debit card spend at $1,200.

Monthly Household spending in Australia

According to ABS, total household spending in Australia was $79.0 billion, up by 4.6% year-on-year. This figure includes $41.2 billion spent on goods and $37.8 billion on services. The average household expenditure was $7,903 in January 2026.

Labor Market Overview: Unemployment Rate increased to 4.3%

The unemployment rate rose to 4.3% in February 2026, up from 4.1% in January 2026.

Total Value of Dwellings in Australia

According to the ABS, the total value of residential dwellings in Australia rose by $384.8 billion over the quarter to $12.3 trillion in the December quarter of 2025. The number of dwellings increased by 54,100 to 11,452,200, while the average price climbed by $28,700 to $1,074,700.

Multiple Job-Holders in Australia

In December 2025, ABS data showed that 976,400 Australians were holding multiple jobs, up 6.5% from September. Women were more likely than men to juggle more than one role, at 7.1% compared with 5.8%. Workers aged 20 to 24 had the highest rate at 10.5%, while community and personal service workers recorded the highest share by occupation at 10.7%.

For deeper dives into the numbers shaping Australia's economy, don't miss Finder's Insights Hub. Discover a wealth of statistics, consumer research, and expert commentary – your go-to source for understanding the financial landscape.

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Written by

Insights Analyst

William Capada is an insights analyst at Finder. With years of experience as an analyst, he has honed his skills in analysing complex datasets and extracting actionable insights. Proficient in various analytical tools, he has a proven track record of delivering meaningful insights that drive strategic decision-making. William conducts research related to economic data and is also responsible for updating the insights statistics pages. He also assists in ensuring that the scoring makes sense for the Finder Retail Awards. See full bio

William's expertise
William has written 4 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Data Analysis
  • Data Visualization
  • Retail Awards
Graham Cooke's headshot
Co-written by

Head of Consumer Research

Graham Cooke is Finder’s Head of Consumer Research, overseeing data analysis on consumer spending and saving habits. He is a passionate advocate for financial literacy and consumer rights, regularly appearing on major TV networks like ABC News and 7 News, and contributing to top outlets like Yahoo Finance and Money Magazine. Graham holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Physics, as well as Tier 1 and Tier 2 certifications (RG 146) that comply with ASIC standards. See full bio

Graham's expertise
Graham has written 57 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Home loans and the housing market
  • Credit cards & personal finance
  • Finder Awards
  • Retail economics & FMCG
  • Travel
  • Finder's RBA Cash Rate Survey, Consumer Sentiment Tracker, Cost of Living Pressure Gauge and Property Investment Index

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