Australia's Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.1 per cent in the 12 months to May 2025, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported on Wednesday. Michelle Marquardt, head of price statistics at the ABS, said the May inflation rate was down from 2.4 per cent in April and marked the lowest annual CPI increase since October 2024. Food and non-alcoholic beverages were the largest contributor to the annual inflation, rising 2.9 per cent, followed by housing at 2.0 per cent and alcohol and tobacco at 5.9 per cent. Marquardt noted that measures of underlying inflation, such as the annual trimmed mean and CPI excluding volatile items and holiday travel, provide a clearer picture of inflation trends when some prices change significantly. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
