Key figures
The latest insurance price figures with their sources, and plain definitions of the terms used in news reports.
Insurance prices, annual change
+5.4% in the year to September 2026. ABS monthly CPI, insurance.
All-groups CPI, annual change
+4.3% in the year to September 2026. ABS monthly CPI.
Insurance prices over five years
+47.0%, September quarter 2021 to September quarter 2026, against +24.6% for the all-groups CPI. Calculated from ABS quarterly index numbers.
Insurance prices over ten years
+69.9%, September quarter 2016 to September quarter 2026, against +36.4%. Calculated from ABS quarterly index numbers.
Insurance’s contribution to CPI inflation
0.07 percentage points of the 4.3% annual rise, year to September 2026. ABS monthly CPI, contribution series from the ABS Data API.
Home insurance affordability stress
15% of households (1.61 million), year to March 2024. Premium above four weeks of gross household income. Actuaries Institute.
Insurance’s weight in the CPI
1.36% of the basket, December quarter 2024 reweighting. ABS annual weight update.
ABS figures retrieved 3 November 2026. Charts and downloadable data are on the Trends page.
Insurance (CPI). The ABS price index for comparable home building, home contents, motor vehicle and compulsory third party (CTP) insurance policies. It measures price change, not what households spend in total. It does not include health insurance, which the ABS classifies in the Health group.
Insurance and financial services (CPI group). A broader group that also includes deposit and loan fees and other financial services. It is not the same as insurance.
Gross written premiums (APRA). Total premium revenue written by insurers. It grows with the number of policies and the value insured, as well as with prices, so it is not a measure of price inflation.
Affordability stress (Actuaries Institute). A home insurance premium above four weeks of gross household income.
Underinsurance. Cover that would not pay the full cost of rebuilding or replacing what is insured. Different from affordability stress and from having no insurance.