Private Capital Expenditure in Australia

Australian Bureau of Statistics · Quarterly · Importance

50,952 (Q2-26) ABS · AUD mn · Quarterly · CSV

Period	AUD mn
Apr 2026	50,952
Jan 2026	52,879
Oct 2025	49,449
Jul 2025	49,025
Apr 2025	46,042
Jan 2025	46,012
Oct 2024	45,684
Jul 2024	45,853
Apr 2024	45,249
Jan 2024	46,204
Oct 2023	45,307
Jul 2023	45,136
Apr 2023	45,244
Jan 2023	43,572
Oct 2022	42,126
Jul 2022	41,029
Apr 2022	40,742
Jan 2022	40,683
Oct 2021	40,513
Jul 2021	39,947
Apr 2021	39,827
Jan 2021	38,713
Oct 2020	36,483
Jul 2020	35,181
Apr 2020	35,697
Jan 2020	38,470
Oct 2019	39,071
Jul 2019	40,045
Apr 2019	40,319
Jan 2019	41,041
Oct 2018	41,494
Jul 2018	41,146
Apr 2018	40,606
Jan 2018	41,060
Oct 2017	40,811
Jul 2017	40,490
Apr 2017	39,805
Jan 2017	39,404
Oct 2016	39,173
Jul 2016	39,189
Apr 2016	40,516
Jan 2016	42,896
Oct 2015	45,534
Jul 2015	44,515
Apr 2015	48,508
Jan 2015	50,445
Oct 2014	53,442
Jul 2014	54,575
Apr 2014	54,022
Jan 2014	52,927
Oct 2013	54,382
Jul 2013	57,011
Apr 2013	55,912
Jan 2013	55,480
Oct 2012	57,383
Jul 2012	58,162
Apr 2012	59,154
Jan 2012	57,599
Oct 2011	53,075
Jul 2011	52,590

Period	%
Oct 1999	-4.3%
Jul 1999	8.0%
Apr 1999	-7.6%
Jan 1999	2.6%
Oct 1998	-2.8%
Jul 1998	1.1%
Apr 1998	2.5%
Jan 1998	-1.0%
Oct 1997	5.3%
Jul 1997	-2.5%
Apr 1997	1.8%
Jan 1997	4.5%
Oct 1996	1.4%
Jul 1996	-4.0%
Apr 1996	17.3%
Jan 1996	6.5%
Oct 1995	3.2%
Jul 1995	2.5%
Apr 1995	0.3%
Jan 1995	3.4%
Oct 1994	4.7%
Jul 1994	5.8%
Apr 1994	6.6%
Jan 1994	5.5%
Oct 1993	3.5%
Jul 1993	5.5%
Apr 1993	-5.6%
Jan 1993	-5.3%
Oct 1992	12.2%
Jul 1992	1.2%
Apr 1992	2.0%
Jan 1992	-1.6%
Oct 1991	-6.2%
Jul 1991	-5.5%
Apr 1991	-6.0%
Jan 1991	-2.5%
Oct 1990	-6.8%
Jul 1990	4.3%
Apr 1990	-4.6%
Jan 1990	-1.3%
Oct 1989	-2.9%
Jul 1989	-5.2%
Apr 1989	4.3%
Jan 1989	5.5%
Oct 1988	14.7%
Jul 1988	-7.5%
Apr 1988	7.7%
Jan 1988	0.0%
Oct 1987	7.3%

Period	%
Oct 1999	-1.9%
Jul 1999	-0.5%
Apr 1999	-6.9%
Jan 1999	3.3%
Oct 1998	-0.3%
Jul 1998	8.0%
Apr 1998	4.2%
Jan 1998	3.6%
Oct 1997	9.3%
Jul 1997	5.3%
Apr 1997	3.6%
Jan 1997	19.4%
Oct 1996	21.7%
Jul 1996	23.8%
Apr 1996	32.2%
Jan 1996	13.0%
Oct 1995	9.7%
Jul 1995	11.4%
Apr 1995	15.0%
Jan 1995	22.2%
Oct 1994	24.7%
Jul 1994	23.3%
Apr 1994	22.9%
Jan 1994	8.8%
Oct 1993	-2.4%
Jul 1993	5.8%
Apr 1993	1.5%
Jan 1993	9.7%
Oct 1992	14.0%
Jul 1992	-4.7%
Apr 1992	-11.0%
Jan 1992	-18.0%
Oct 1991	-18.8%
Jul 1991	-19.4%
Apr 1991	-11.0%
Jan 1991	-9.7%
Oct 1990	-8.5%
Jul 1990	-4.6%
Apr 1990	-13.3%
Jan 1990	-5.2%
Oct 1989	1.3%
Jul 1989	19.6%
Apr 1989	16.7%
Jan 1989	20.5%
Oct 1988	14.2%
Jul 1988	6.8%

About this indicator

Source

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

Frequency

Quarterly

Release

Roughly the last Thursday of February, May, August and November (ABS calendar)

What it is

Measures quarterly investment by Australian private businesses in buildings and structures and in equipment, plant and machinery. Published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), it is a key gauge of business investment feeding into GDP.

How it's calculated

Drawn from the quarterly Private New Capital Expenditure and Expected Expenditure survey covering private firms across most industries (excluding agriculture and some financial services). Figures are chain-volume, seasonally adjusted, with the quarter-on-quarter change most closely watched.

Market implications

A sustained rise points to expanding productive capacity and firmer business confidence, supporting GDP growth. The Reserve Bank of Australia watches it to gauge the non-mining investment cycle, and a strong reading tends to lift the Australian dollar and yields.

Limitations

It covers only the private sector (excluding public investment) and is prone to large quarter-to-quarter revisions given its survey basis. The release also carries expected-spending estimates that can diverge from actual outlays.