Australian National Accounts: National Income, Expenditure and Product

This is not the latest release View the latest release

Quarterly estimates of key economic flows in Australia, including gross domestic product (GDP), consumption, investment, income and saving

Reference period
March 2021
Released
2/06/2021

Key statistics

  • The Australian economy rose 1.8% in seasonally adjusted chain volume measures
  • Through the year GDP rose 1.1%
  • The terms of trade rose 7.4%
  • Household saving ratio decreased to 11.6% from 12.2%

Economic overview

Unless otherwise stated all figures are in seasonally adjusted, chain volume measures.

The reference year for chain volume measures is 2018-19.

For more information about the changes in this issue, please see revisions and changes on this page.

March key figures, percentage changes (a)

 Dec 19 to Mar 20Mar 20 to Jun 20Jun 20 to Sep 20Sep 20 to Dec 20Dec 20 to Mar 21Mar 20 to Mar 21
Chain volume GDP and related measures (b)
 GDP-0.3-7.03.53.21.81.1
 GDP per capita (c)-0.6-7.13.53.11.70.8
 Gross value added market sector (d)-0.7-7.73.23.62.00.6
 Real net national disposable income-0.3-7.35.05.53.46.1
Productivity
 GDP per hour worked0.62.8-0.9-0.30.82.5
 Real unit labour costs-0.3-9.0-0.96.90.5-3.2
Prices
 GDP chain price index (original)1.0-0.4-0.11.63.14.3
 Terms of trade-0.30.71.15.57.415.4
Current price measures
 GDP0.1-7.34.04.43.54.0
 Household saving ratio7.922.018.612.211.6na

a not available
a. Change on preceding quarter, except for the last column which shows the change between the current quarter and the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Excludes Household saving ratio.
b. Reference year for chain volume measures and real income measures is 2018-19.
c. Population estimates are as published in the National, state and territory population (cat. no. 3101.0) and ABS projections.
d. ANZSIC divisions A to N, R and S. See Glossary - Market sector.

Australian economy rose 1.8% in March quarter

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose 1.8% this quarter, reflecting the continued easing of COVID-19 restrictions and the recovery in the labour market. The level of economic activity is now 0.8% above December quarter 2019 pre-pandemic levels and has grown 1.1% in through the year terms.

Strong growth in the terms of trade

The terms of trade rose 7.4% this quarter and is at its highest level since December quarter 2011. Stronger export prices, particularly for iron ore and LNG, drove the quarterly rise. The strength in the terms of trade contributed to a 3.5% increase in nominal GDP.

Private demand drives growth

Domestic final demand contributed 1.6 percentage points to GDP growth. Private investment contributed 0.9 percentage points and household final consumption expenditure contributed 0.7 percentage points.

Private investment records strongest rise since September quarter 2017

Private investment rose 5.3% in March quarter to be 3.6% higher through the year, the first through the year rise since June quarter 2018. Both business and housing investment increased, supported by government initiatives and improved confidence.

Business investment was driven by a 11.6% rise in machinery and equipment, the strongest increase since December quarter 2009. Dwelling investment rose 6.4% with increased construction activity on renovations and detached housing, coinciding with the federal government’s HomeBuilder scheme.

Household spending on services continues to recover

Household expenditure rose 1.2% this quarter, but remained 1.5% below December quarter 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

Spending on services (+2.4%) drove the quarterly rise. Hotels, cafes and restaurants, recreation and culture and transport services continued to rebound as movement and trading restrictions eased. Spending on services remains down on pre-pandemic levels, particularly those impacted by the closure of international borders.

Spending on goods declined 0.5% this quarter, but remained at elevated levels. Expenditure on both food (-1.4%) and alcoholic beverages (-3.9%) fell, reflecting a shift towards dining out as restrictions eased.

Household saving ratio remains elevated

The household saving to income ratio declined from 12.2% to 11.6% and remained at elevated levels. Saving fell as growth in household consumption outpaced the rise in gross disposable income.

Gross disposable income rose 1.0% in the quarter. Compensation of employees rose 1.5%, reflecting increases in employment and hours worked as economic activity continued to recover. This was partly offset by a decline in benefit payments as additional COVID-19 support wound back.

Increased demand drives gross value added (GVA)

Easing restrictions and increased confidence drove a 1.5% rise in GVA this quarter, with increases in 15 out of the 19 industries. Government incentives on residential building contributed to a 4.4% rise in Construction. Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services rose 5.3% driven by confidence in the housing market and low interest rates.

Transport, Postal and Warehousing, Accommodation and Food Services and Arts and Recreation Services, industries heavily impacted by the pandemic, continued to rebound this quarter as restrictions eased. Despite this, the activity in all three industries remains below pre-pandemic levels.

Compensation of employees (COE) rises with underlying activity

COE rose 1.5% this quarter with a 2.4% rise in private COE, reflecting increased employment and hours worked. Public COE fell 1.6%, reflecting redundancies paid by universities in the previous quarter. Public COE remained 3.6% higher through the year.

Operating surplus declines following reductions in government support for business

Gross operating surplus plus gross mixed income (GOSMI) fell 1.2%, driven by non-mining industries as support payments from government declined.

Mining operating surplus partly offset the fall, rising 10.2%, reflecting strong iron ore and LNG prices.

Expenditure

 % Change% Change% points contribution
to growth in GDP
Dec 20 to
Mar 21
Mar 20 to
Mar 21
Dec 20 to Mar 21
Final consumption expenditure   
 General government-0.55.0-0.1
 Households1.2-0.7
 Total final consumption expenditure0.71.30.5
Gross fixed capital formation   
 Private   
  Dwellings6.47.90.3
  Ownership transfer costs10.626.80.2
  Non-dwelling construction-1.1-9.3-0.1
  Machinery and equipment11.68.60.4
  Cultivated biological resources3.616.7-
  Intellectual property products2.4-0.8-
 Public2.94.90.2
 Total gross fixed capital formation4.73.91.1
Changes in inventoriesnana0.7
Gross national expenditure2.32.92.3
Exports of goods and services0.5-6.20.1
Imports of goods and services3.71.0-0.7
Statistical discrepancy (E)nana0.1
Gross domestic product1.81.11.8

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
na not available

Final consumption expenditure (FCE) 0.7%

Gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) 4.7%

Changes in inventories

Exports and imports of goods and services

Income

Income estimates are in seasonally adjusted current prices

 % Change% Change% points contribution
to growth in GDP
Dec 20 to Mar 21Mar 20 to Mar 21Dec 20 to Mar 21
Compensation of employees1.53.00.7
Gross operating surplus   
 Private non-financial corporations-2.610.9-0.6
 Other(a)0.72.6-
Gross mixed income-1.210.6-0.1
Taxes less subsidies on production and imports62.3-9.23.4
Statistical discrepancy (I)nana-0.1
Gross domestic product3.54.03.5

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
na not available
a. Includes Public non-financial corporations, Financial corporations, General government and Dwellings owned by persons.
 

Compensation of employees (COE) 1.5%

Gross operating surplus (GOS) -1.2%

Taxes less subsidies on production and imports 62.3%

Production

 % Change% Change% points contribution to growth in GDP
Dec 20 to Mar 21Mar 20 to Mar 21Dec 20 to Mar 21
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing2.934.20.1
Mining0.7-2.30.1
Manufacturing3.0-0.40.2
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services-0.9-1.4-
Construction4.4-0.80.3
Wholesale Trade2.96.30.1
Retail Trade-1.03.6-
Accommodation and Food Services5.2-0.10.1
Transport, Postal and Warehousing5.0-7.80.2
Information Media and Telecommunications-1.90.6-
Financial and Insurance Services0.22.6-
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services5.32.20.1
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services1.21.70.1
Administrative and Support Services1.9-10.00.1
Public Administration and Safety-0.72.0-
Education and Training0.31.0-
Health Care and Social Assistance1.24.00.1
Arts and Recreation Services5.7-0.8-
Other Services5.81.70.1
Ownership of dwellings0.41.7-
Taxes less subsidies on products4.93.50.3
Statistical discrepancy (P)nana-
Gross domestic product1.81.11.8

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
na not available

Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 2.9%

Mining 0.7%

Manufacturing 3.0%

Construction 4.4%

Wholesale Trade 2.9%

Accommodation and Food Services 5.2%

Transport, Postal and Warehousing 5.0%

Information Media and Telecommunications -1.9%

Financial and Insurance Services 0.2%

Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services 5.3%

Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 1.2%

Administrative and Support Services 1.9%

Health Care and Social Assistance 1.2%

Arts and Recreation Services 5.7%

Other Services 5.8%

State and territory final demand

 Percentage change from Dec 20 to Mar 21
NSWVic.QldSAWATas.NTACTAust.(a)
Final consumption expenditure         
 General government-1.5-0.80.0-0.10.60.71.7-0.1-0.5
 Households1.03.2-0.30.50.31.9-0.90.61.2
Gross fixed capital formation         
 Private7.22.02.34.610.82.5-12.64.95.3
 Public0.25.83.48.54.50.5-3.9-1.92.9
State final demand1.52.30.41.43.01.6-1.90.51.6

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
a. Australia estimates relate to Domestic final demand.

Quarterly volume measures, seasonally adjusted

Loading map...

The map of shows quarterly volume measures of state final demand by state/territory.
New South Wales' state final demand increased 1.5% for the quarter.
Victoria's state final demand increased 2.3% for the quarter.
Queensland's state final demand increased 0.4% for the quarter.
South Australia's state final demand increased 1.4% for the quarter.
Western Australia's state final demand increased 3.0% for the quarter.
Tasmania's state final demand increased 1.6% for the quarter.
Northern Territory's state final demand decreased 1.9% for the quarter.
Australian Capital Territory's state final demand increased 0.5% for the quarter.

New South Wales 1.5%

Victoria 2.3%

Queensland 0.4%

South Australia 1.4%

Western Australia 3.0%

Tasmania 1.6%

Northern Territory -1.9%

Australian Capital Territory 0.5%

Key tables

Key national accounts aggregates

Analytical expenditure aggregates

Expenditure aggregates

Expenditure on GDP

Household final consumption expenditure

Industry gross value added

Income from GDP

State final demand

Related releases

Australian System of National Accounts (cat. no. 5204.0)

The 2019-20 issue of the Australian System of National Accounts was released on 30 October 2020. This publication provides detailed, annual estimates of Australia's national accounts. These include expenditure, income and production estimates of gross domestic product (GDP), productivity estimates, sectorial accounts (for households, financial and non-financial corporations, general government and the rest of the world), and additional aggregates dissected by industry.

Australian National Accounts: Supply Use Tables (cat. no. 5217.0)

The 2018-19 issue of Australian National Accounts: Supply Use Tables was released on 30 October 2020. The Supply Use tables were introduced in the annual National Accounts in 1998 as an integral part of the annual compilation of the Australian System of National Accounts. They are used to ensure Gross Domestic Product is balanced for all three approaches (production, expenditure and income) and provide the annual benchmarks from which the quarterly estimates are compiled.

Read more

Revisions and changes

Revisions in this issue

There are revisions in this issue due to the incorporation of more up-to-date data and concurrent seasonal adjustment. 

Suspension of trend estimates

Due to the impacts of COVID-19 on the economy, trend estimates for all series in the National Accounts have been suspended from June 2019 (inclusive). In the short term, this measurement will be significantly affected by changes to regular patterns in economic activity. If trend estimates were to be calculated without fully accounting for this unusual event, they would likely provide a misleading view of the underlying trend in the economy. 

Extraordinary Annual Seasonal Review (EASR)

In the March quarter 2020 issue of Australian National Accounts: National Income, Expenditure and Product, the ABS advised that the method used to produce seasonally adjusted estimates would be changed from the ‘concurrent’ method to the ‘forward factors’ method for series with significant and prolonged impacts from COVID-19. 

Given the large changes in the Australian economy during the COVID-19 period and the continuing use of a forward factors approach to seasonal adjustment, the ABS has undertaken an extensive annual review of seasonally adjusted series. This review changed a range of time series treatments to ensure that the seasonal adjustment process continues to be less influenced by the large irregular movements over the past year. Revisions to most seasonally adjusted series are relatively minor, but larger than would be observed on a quarterly basis through the use of concurrent seasonal adjustment. 

For some series, the review has allowed a return to concurrent seasonal adjustment, where economic conditions are assessed to have returned to pre COVID-19 patterns. For the remaining series where this is not the case, forward factors have been calculated for the next 12 months through this annual process.

Upcoming changes to publication tables

The June quarter 2021 issue of this publication, scheduled for release on 1 September 2021, will include changes to publication tables 24. Selected Analytical Series and 34. Key Aggregates and Analytical Series, Annual. The changes include the addition of analytical series for household final consumption expenditure, currently presented in the Analytical expenditure aggregates table on this page. For further information on the changes, please contact national.accounts@abs.gov.au.

Data downloads

Next quarter's release of this publication will include changes to publication tables 24. Selected Analytical Series and 34. Key Aggregates and Analytical Series, Annual. For further information regarding these changes, see the revisions and changes section above.

Time series spreadsheets

Data files

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 5206.0.
 

Back to top of the page