Australia’s import price pressures eased sharply at the start of 2026, with the Import Price Index rising just 0.1% in the first quarter on a quarter-over-quarter basis, down from a 0.9% increase in the fourth quarter of 2025. The latest data, updated on 30 April 2026, point to a notable moderation in imported inflation after a stronger run-up at the end of last year.
The comparison shows that while the previous reading for Q4 2025 reflected a relatively robust quarter-over-quarter rise in import prices, the Q1 2026 figure suggests that cost pressures from abroad have largely stabilized. The “actual” figure compares the current quarter’s change to the previous quarter, while the “previous” figure measures the change in Q4 2025 against the quarter before it, highlighting a clear deceleration in import price growth as 2026 begins.
