Australia's inflation rate drops to 3.5% in July
Annual inflation eased to 3.5% in July, down from 3.8% in June, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Housing was the biggest contributor to inflation, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Source: AAP / Christopher Hopkins
Photograph: SBS News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Australia's annual inflation rate decreased to 3.5% in July, down from 3.8% in June.
- The consumer price index rose 1% in July, with housing and fuel prices being significant contributors.
- Underlying inflation, measured by trimmed mean inflation, held steady at 3.6%.
- The Reserve Bank of Australia kept its cash rate at 4.35% in August, citing concerns about inflation.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 13 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. Coverage measured .
Trust
60/100
Craft
65/100
Hype
20/100
13 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
None of the 13 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Australia's annual inflation rate fell to 3.5 per cent in July, its lowest point in eight months, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This marks a decrease from the 3.8 per cent recorded in June. The consumer price index rose by 1 per cent during July. Underlying inflation, measured by the trimmed mean, remained unchanged at 3.6 per cent.
Housing costs were the primary driver of inflation, with new dwelling prices increasing by 5.7 per cent and rents rising by 3.6 per cent over the year to July. Fuel prices saw a significant jump of 7.5 per cent for the month, attributed to higher global oil prices and the partial removal of federal government fuel excise relief. Food and non-alcoholic beverages also contributed, rising 3.2 per cent.
Inflation figures and expectations
While the headline inflation rate fell, it was higher than economists' expectations, which had predicted a rate of 3.3 per cent. Similarly, the monthly increase of 1 per cent in the consumer price index exceeded forecasts of 0.8 per cent. Underlying inflation also remained above expectations, which had anticipated a fall to 3.5 per cent.
Reserve Bank of Australia's decision
In response to the inflation data and concerns about upside risks, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) held its cash rate at 4.35 per cent in August. Minutes from the RBA's August board meeting indicated that the board considered another rate hike but decided to wait for further data. The RBA's target range for inflation is 2 to 3 per cent.
What the coverage left out
None of the left- or centre-rated reports printed below mention the specific figure for underlying inflation measured by services inflation, which was reported as running at 3.7 per cent over the year. No right-rated outlet ran this story.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 2 times, most recently on 26 Aug 2026, 08:15, and will add the sides that appear.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.
Image source: Getty Images
fool.com.au — embedded from source
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
12 rated outlets
- The left-rated reports focused on the easing of inflation to 3.5 per cent in July, noting it was the lowest level in eight months. These reports highlighted that despite the fall, inflation remained above economists' expectations. They detailed the contributions of housing and fuel prices to the monthly increase. The reports also mentioned the Reserve Bank of Australia's decision to hold interest rates at 4.35 per cent, suggesting this could offer potential relief for homeowners and mortgages.
Centre
1 rated outlet
- The centre-rated report from fool.com.au led with the headline that inflation had fallen again but questioned whether the RBA might still raise interest rates. It detailed the 3.5 per cent annual inflation rate and the 1 per cent monthly rise in the CPI, noting both were above economists' forecasts. The report specifically highlighted that underlying inflation remained elevated at 3.6 per cent and that the RBA's board had considered another rate hike at its August meeting. It also noted that Australia's unemployment rate had risen to 4.5 per cent and employment had fallen unexpectedly.
Right
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated right has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Australia's inflation rate drops to 3.5% in July?
- Of the 13 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 92% are rated left, 8% are rated centre, 0% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Australia's inflation rate drops to 3.5% in July left or right?
- The story itself is neither. What can be counted is who has covered it, and 92% of the 13 rated outlets on it are rated left — so far this is a story carried mostly by the left. Coverage is still arriving and that can change, which is why the figure is dated rather than fixed.
- Is the coverage of Australia's inflation rate drops to 3.5% in July biased?
- Australia's inflation rate drops to 3.5% in July is one event reported by 13 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Australia's inflation rate drops to 3.5% in July?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Australia's inflation rate drops to 3.5% in July?
- 13 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What was Australia's annual inflation rate in July?
- Australia's annual inflation rate fell to 3.5 per cent in July, down from 3.8 per cent in June. This was the lowest rate recorded in eight months, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
- What were the main drivers of inflation in July?
- Housing was the largest contributor to inflation, with new dwelling prices up 5.7 per cent and rents rising 3.6 per cent. Fuel prices also increased significantly by 7.5 per cent for the month.
- Did the Reserve Bank of Australia change interest rates in August?
- No, the Reserve Bank of Australia held its cash rate steady at 4.35 per cent in August. The decision was made after considering the latest inflation data and other economic indicators.
Read it at the source
13 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
12- Inflation has eased, but here's why the RBA may not be breathing a sigh of relief just yet (opens SBS News in a new tab)
- Inflation eased in July, but home loan relief remains on the cards (opens areanews.com.au in a new tab)
areanews.com.au — is areanews.com.au biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Inflation eased in July, but home loan relief remains on the cards (opens katherinetimes.com.au in a new tab)
katherinetimes.com.au — is katherinetimes.com.au biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Inflation eased in July, but home loan relief remains on the cards (opens dailyliberal.com.au in a new tab)
dailyliberal.com.au — is dailyliberal.com.au biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Inflation eased in July, but home loan relief remains on the cards (opens goulburnpost.com.au in a new tab)
goulburnpost.com.au — is goulburnpost.com.au biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Inflation eased in July, but home loan relief remains on the cards (opens The Bendigo Advertiser in a new tab)
The Bendigo Advertiser — is The Bendigo Advertiser biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Inflation eased in July, but home loan relief remains on the cards (opens The Advocate in a new tab)
The Advocate — is The Advocate biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Inflation eased in July, but home loan relief remains on the cards (opens The Courier in a new tab)
The Courier — is The Courier biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 4 more
- Inflation eased in July, but home loan relief remains on the cards (opens The Standard in a new tab)
The Standard — is The Standard biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Inflation eased in July, but home loan relief remains on the cards (opens The Examiner in a new tab)
The Examiner — is The Examiner biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Inflation eased in July, but home loan relief remains on the cards (opens Newcastle Herald in a new tab)
Newcastle Herald — is Newcastle Herald biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Inflation eased in July, but home loan relief remains on the cards (opens The Canberra Times in a new tab)
The Canberra Times — is The Canberra Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
1Right
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Not rated
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
How did this read?
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