Australia’s Wage Price Index ticked up slightly in the fourth quarter of 2025, rising to 3.4% year-over-year from 3.3% in the third quarter of 2025. The latest data, updated on 18 February 2026, indicate a modest acceleration in wage growth compared with the same period a year earlier.
The Wage Price Index measures the change in wages over time, holding the quality and quantity of work constant. On a year-over-year basis, the fourth-quarter reading shows that wages in Australia continued to grow, but only marginally faster than in the previous quarter’s annual comparison. This suggests a still-firm, but not rapidly accelerating, wage environment heading into 2026.
Given that both the current and previous readings are measured against the same quarter a year earlier, the slight uptick to 3.4% may be watched closely by market participants and policymakers as they assess the balance between income growth, inflation pressures, and the broader economic outlook.
