What’s Driving the Cost-of-Living Crisis?

Rahul Sunil Shirame

Introduction

  • In Australia, the cost of living crisis is becoming a bigger issue.
  • The affordability of necessities has been impacted by inflation.
  • This presentation uses ABS available data to examine CPI changes from 1972 to 2025.

Focus Categories

-The three main categories we focus on are: - Food and non-alcoholic beverages - Housing - Transport -These are the most impactful on everyday living costs.

CPI Trend Highlights

  • Long-term upward trends for all three categories.
  • Housing shows the steepest increase over the decades.
  • Food and transport follow a steady but consistent rise.

Post-2015 Surge

Insights Since 2015

  • Significant spike in housing and transport costs after 2020.
  • Food inflation more stable but still rising.
  • Likely influenced by COVID-19 disruptions and supply chain issues.

Latest CPI Snapshot

Category Comparison (Latest)

  • Housing and food are the most expensive CPI categories.
  • Health, insurance, and education are also high.
  • Transport sits near the middle — still a major contributor.

Conclusion

-The data shows that core living expenses are facing increasing pressure from inflation. -The prices of housing, food and transport continue to rise steadily. -Open data enables the detection of these patterns which leads to better policy decisions.

References

-Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2024). Consumer price index, Australia. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved June 11, 2025, from https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/price-indexes-and-inflation/consumer-price-index-australia