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A lot of products got cheaper in 2018
Prices always go up, right? Well, not for everything, according to the latest inflation data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
While the average price of all products and services rose by 1.8 per cent during 2018, there were numerous items that experienced price falls – including the ones below:
| Product / service | Annual change |
|---|---|
| Audio, visual & computing equipment | -8.8% |
| Child care | -8.3% |
| Footwear | -5.5% |
| Telecommunication equipment & services | -4.7% |
| Household textiles | -3.7% |
| Personal care products | -2.8% |
| Games, toys & hobbies | -2.8% |
| Domestic & household services | -1.9% |
| Cleaning & maintenance products | -1.4% |
| Motor vehicles | -1.1% |
Smoking and drinking became much dearer
That said, prices rose in most of the 11 different categories monitored by the ABS.
Only three of the categories experienced price falls – clothing and footwear; furnishings, house equipment and services; and communication.
| Category | Annual change |
|---|---|
| Alcohol & tobacco | 6.8% |
| Health | 3.3% |
| Transport | 2.8% |
| Education | 2.7% |
| Recreation & culture | 1.7% |
| Insurance & financial services | 1.5% |
| Food & non-alcoholic beverages | 1.5% |
| Housing | 1.5% |
| Clothing & footwear | -0.7% |
| Furnishings, household equipment & services | -0.8% |
| Communication | -4.3% |
All hail Hobart, the inflation king
All of Australia’s capital cities became more expensive places to live during 2018.
Hobart, Canberra and Melbourne experienced above-average inflation, while prices in the other five capitals grew at below-average rates.
| City | Annual change |
|---|---|
| Hobart | 3.0% |
| Canberra | 2.5% |
| Melbourne | 2.0% |
| Sydney | 1.7% |
| Adelaide | 1.6% |
| Brisbane | 1.5% |
| Perth | 1.3% |
| Darwin | 1.2% |
Disclaimer
This article is over two years old, last updated on January 31, 2019. While RateCity makes best efforts to update every important article regularly, the information in this piece may not be as relevant as it once was. Alternatively, please consider checking recent credit cards articles.
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Product database updated 19 Apr, 2024
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