What Key Statistics and Indicators Does the RBA Publish?

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) publishes a small set of headline indicators on its homepage — the cash rate target, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate, and a set of exchange rates — alongside dated releases such as the Financial Stability Review and the Annual Report. Each figure is shown with an effective date and a "next update" time, so you can tell at a glance how current it is. The figures below are the ones displayed on the RBA homepage as captured in the source material; always confirm against the live site before relying on them.

Headline indicators on the homepage

Cash rate target

This is the headline monetary policy rate. The homepage pairs the current target with the date it took effect and the scheduled date and time of the next decision announcement, which is when the figure is most likely to change. Because the "next update" is a scheduled announcement rather than a fixed publishing interval, treat the effective date as the authoritative timestamp for any given value.

Inflation (CPI)

The inflation figure is the annual change in the Consumer Price Index, labelled with the reference month (August 2026 in the captured data) and a separate next-update date. Note that the reference period and the publication date differ — the number describes a past month, while the next-update date tells you when a new reading is due.

Exchange rates

The RBA publishes a trade-weighted index plus bilateral rates against major currencies (USD, CNY, JPY, EUR on the homepage). These carry a precise "as at" timestamp (4.00 pm, 15 October 2026), reflecting that exchange rates move continuously and the displayed values are a snapshot. For anything time-sensitive, check the timestamp rather than assuming the rate is live.

Beyond the headline numbers

The homepage also points to featured areas of the Bank's work and dated releases, including:

• Financial Stability Review — a periodic assessment of risks to the financial system (the October 2026 edition was released 1 October 2026, with a accompanying media release).
• Monetary Policy Board meeting minutes — published after meetings (e.g. the September 2026 minutes, released 13 October 2026).
• Annual Report — the Bank's yearly report (2026 edition listed 15 October 2026).
• Speeches, interviews and conference papers — listed under upcoming events with specific dates and times.
• Explainer content — such as "How Higher Interest Rates Lower Inflation," which walks through the transmission mechanism behind the cash rate.

How to use these figures

1. Check the timestamp first. Every figure carries an effective or "as at" date; the cash rate and CPI also carry a next-update date. Use these to judge freshness.
2. Match the indicator to your question. For policy direction, use the cash rate target and the minutes; for price pressures, use CPI; for currency context, use the trade-weighted index and bilateral rates.
3. Follow the scheduled updates. The next-update times tell you when to revisit the page — for example, the cash rate next updates at 2.30 pm on 3 November 2026 and CPI on 28 October 2026 in the captured data.
4. Go to the source release for detail. Headline numbers are summaries; the linked reviews, minutes and reports carry the underlying analysis.

A practical caution: the values above are a snapshot from the source page and will be superseded. Before citing any figure — in analysis, reporting or a decision — open rba.gov.au and confirm the current value and its effective date.