Australian Melbourne Institute Inflation Gauge for December 2024:

0.6% m/m, the largest jump higher in a year

  • prior 0.2%
  • trimmed mean +0.4% m/m, highest since March 2024

2.6% y/y

  • prior 2.9%

AUD is little changed. Around 0.6155.

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The Australian Melbourne Institute Inflation Gauge is an independent, monthly measure of inflation in Australia. It is designed to provide an early indicator of price trends before the official quarterly inflation data is released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Key Differences

FeatureMelbourne Institute Inflation GaugeABS CPI
FrequencyMonthlyQuarterly
TimelinessEarly in the following monthSeveral weeks after quarter-end
CoverageSimilar to CPI but less comprehensiveNationally representative, broader scope
PurposeEarly indicator of inflation trendsOfficial inflation measure
WeightingIndependent methodologyBased on detailed household expenditure
Use in PolicyInformal, for market/business insightsOfficial, used in RBA policy decisions

It also leads the monthly Australian Bureau of Statistics CPI data. For example, the ABS December month data is due on January 29.