Advertisement
New Zealand markets closed
  • NZX 50

    12,105.29
    +94.63 (+0.79%)
     
  • NZD/USD

    0.5978
    +0.0003 (+0.04%)
     
  • NZD/EUR

    0.5538
    +0.0005 (+0.09%)
     
  • ALL ORDS

    8,153.70
    +80.10 (+0.99%)
     
  • ASX 200

    7,896.90
    +77.30 (+0.99%)
     
  • OIL

    83.11
    -0.06 (-0.07%)
     
  • GOLD

    2,254.80
    +16.40 (+0.73%)
     
  • NASDAQ

    18,254.69
    -26.15 (-0.14%)
     
  • FTSE

    7,952.62
    +20.64 (+0.26%)
     
  • Dow Jones

    39,807.37
    +47.29 (+0.12%)
     
  • DAX

    18,492.49
    +15.40 (+0.08%)
     
  • Hang Seng

    16,541.42
    +148.58 (+0.91%)
     
  • NIKKEI 225

    40,369.44
    +201.37 (+0.50%)
     
  • NZD/JPY

    90.4130
    +0.0200 (+0.02%)
     

How Australia’s inflation and cash rate compare to other countries

Composite image of map of Australia filled with money and a city skyline to represent inflation..
While Australia's inflation rate is at a 30-year high, it's still lower than many other countries. (Source: Getty)

Yesterday, Australians were hit with the news of headline inflation reaching 6.1 per cent, which all but locked in at least another 50-basis-point rate hike for next week.

While troubling, Australia isn’t the only country grappling with soaring inflation.

Inflation has jumped 9.1 per cent in the US, prompting the Federal Reserve to lift its cash rate by 75 basis points for the second time in a row yesterday.

The successive hikes represent the most aggressive tightening in three decades in the world’s biggest economy.

ADVERTISEMENT

Canada also recently increased its cash rate by a massive 1.00 per cent, with its inflation rate sitting at 8.1 per cent.

How Australia’s inflation and cash rate compares to other countries

Official rate –start of 2022

Official rate –today

Last change

Current inflation rate (p.a.)

Australia

0.10%

1.35%

+0.50%, July 2022

6.1%

United States

0.00% - 0.25%

1.50% - 1.75%*

+0.75%, July 2022

9.1%

European Union (Main refinancing options)

0.00%

0.50%

+0.50% July 2022

8.6%

United Kingdom

0.25%

1.25%

+0.25% June

9.4%

Canada

0.25%

2.50%

+1.00%, July 2022

8.1%

New Zealand

0.75%

2.50%

+0.50%, July 2022

7.3%

Japan

-0.10%

-0.10%

-0.10%, Jan 2016

2.4%

Source: RateCity.com.au. Note: the ECB rates on the marginal lending facility and the deposit facility are 0.75% and 0.00% respectively.

Ukraine crisis driving global inflation

Around the world, inflation has been soaring due to the conflict in Ukraine driving up commodity and fuel prices.

This has driven up the costs of manufacturing goods and moving them around.

Labour shortages have also been adding pressure, forcing businesses to charge more for goods and services.

“Central banks around the world are moving quickly to try to contain the inflation beast, with hefty hikes to official rates,” RateCity research director Sally Tindall said.

She said many families would need to start making significant cutbacks.

“Every other week, families are finding their grocery bills are growing, the car is more expensive to fill up and the cost of their takeaway coffee keeps hitting record highs.”

She recommended putting pen to paper to come up with a financial strategy to get through the next 12 months.

“For some households, it’ll be a few nips and tucks to their budgets, but for others, it’ll involve making tough decisions,” she said.

Follow Yahoo Finance on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter, and subscribe to the free Fully Briefed daily newsletter.