All household types recorded an increase in quarterly living costs in the June 2024 quarter, according to the latest data from the Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS). 

Whilst not good news for Lismore retailers who have had tough trading conditions in 2024, it does help them understand why sales have been a little slow.

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Michelle Marquardt, ABS head of prices statistics, said: “Increases in living costs in the June 2024 quarter ranged from 1.2 per cent to 1.4 per cent, depending on the spending patterns of the different household types, compared to a rise of 1.0 per cent in the Consumer Price Index. 

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“This is the first time since December 2010 that increases in living costs for all household types were higher than the increase in the CPI.” 

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Insurance and financial services, which include mortgage interest charges and Food and non-alcoholic beverages, were the main contributors across all household types. Housing also contributed to higher living costs for all household types except Self-funded retirees. 

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Higher premiums for motor vehicle, house and home contents insurance, and higher fruit and vegetable prices reflecting unfavourable growing conditions, impacted living costs for all household types. 

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Other government transfer recipients whose main source of income is government payments recorded the largest rise of all household types.

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“Other government transfer recipient households were most impacted by higher rental prices reflecting a tight rental market,” Ms Marquardt said.

A significant difference between the Living Cost Indexes and the CPI is that the Living Cost Indexes include mortgage interest charges rather than the cost of building new dwellings.

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Employee households were most impacted by rising mortgage interest charges over the quarter, which are a larger part of their spending than for other household types. 

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“Mortgage interest charges rose 2.6 per cent in the June 2024 quarter driven by the continued rollover of some expired fixed rate mortgages to higher variable rate mortgages,” Ms Marquardt said. 

Annual living cost rises remain highest for Employee households

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“Employee households recorded the largest annual rise in living costs of all household types with a rise of 6.2 per cent. However, this was down from 6.5 per cent in the previous quarter, and down from the peak of 9.6 per cent in the June 2023 quarter,” Ms. Marquardt said. 

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“Mortgage interest charges rose 26.5 per cent annually, continuing the moderation seen since the peak of 91.6 per cent in the June 2023 quarter. This reflects fewer rises in the Reserve Bank of Australia’s cash rate in the last 12 months and a slowing in the rollover of expired fixed rate mortgages to higher variable rate mortgages,” Ms Marquardt said. 

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Higher insurance premiums, food and housing costs over the last 12 months also contributed to annual living cost increases for all household types. 

Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index (PBLCI)

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The PBLCI measures living costs for age pensioner and other government transfer recipient households. The PBLCI rose 4.1 per cent over the year, compared to a rise of 3.8 per cent in the CPI.

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“Age pensioner and other government transfer recipient households living costs include interest charges which rose between 20 and 24 per cent for these household types annually. Insurance also makes up a larger proportion of spending for these households compared to the CPI. Insurance premiums rose over the year contributing to higher living costs for these households.” 

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“Government pensions are indexed on 20 September (and 20 March) by the greater of the rise in the PBCLI and CPI over a six-month period,” Ms Marquardt said. 

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Over the six months between the December 2023 quarter and June 2024 quarter, the PBCLI rose 2.6 per cent. In that same period, the CPI rose 2.0 per cent. 

It has been more positive news for local retailers recently, with employees benefitting from Federal Govt tax cuts on July 1 putting more money in their pockets. The price of fruit and vegetables is decreasing as we head towards spring, as well as the price of lamb and beef as farmer's stocks return to more normal levels following flooding across the state in 2022/23.

The signs are there for a more positive end to 2024 than the start of it.