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

  • Average loan sizes climbed to record levels, with owner-occupiers borrowing $734,878 on average. First home buyers took out $614,048, investors borrowed $709,083 and external refinancing loans averaged $636,455.
  • In March 2026, credit card purchases totalled $40.9 billion, up 8.5% year on year, while debit card spending reached $60.2 billion, a 15.0% annual increase.
  • Household spending rose to $80.4 billion in March 2026, comprising $42.5 billion on goods and $38.0 billion on services.
  • The unemployment rate increased to 4.5% in April 2026.
  • Median house prices increased by 13.6% on average, while median unit prices rose 10.4%

Australian Home Loan Market

For owner-occupiers, the average home loan size climbed to a record $734,878. That’s down 0.2% over the quarter but up 11.3% year-on-year. First home buyers are also borrowing more, with the average loan reaching $614,048, rising 1.1% over the quarter and 13.1% annually.

Investor loan sizes averaged $709,083, falling 1.1% over the quarter but increasing 5.5% year-on-year.

Refinancing loans averaged $546,136, with external refinances averaging $636,455 and internal refinances at $427,799.

Credit Card and Debit Card Usage Trends

In March 2026, The total value of credit card purchases in Australia hit a high of $40.9 billion, up 8.5% over the year. Australians made 333.5 million purchases, 4.3% higher than a year earlier, while the average spend per card reached $3,352.

Debit purchases reached $60.2 billion, rising 14.8% in a month and 15.0% over the year. Australians made 1.1 billion purchases, with the average debit card spend at $1,289.

Monthly Household spending in Australia

According to ABS data, household spending in Australia hit a high of $80.4 billion in March 2026, marking a 6.33% increase year-on-year. This included $42.5 billion spent on goods and $38.0 billion on services, with average household spending reaching $8,046 for the month of March 2026.

Labor Market Overview: Unemployment rate increased to 4.5%

The unemployment rate increased to 4.5% in April 2026, up 0.2% from last month.

House and Unit Prices

As of February 2026, median house prices have risen by an average of 13.6%, while median unit prices have recorded an increase of 10.4%

For those considering purchasing a property, here's a snapshot of the average prices of houses and units across different capital cities, along with the corresponding 20% deposit, monthly repayment based on 80% of the average price, and the required household income to stay below mortgage stress level (30%).

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 5 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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