Fashion pulse: Australia - February 2026

Consumer prices (February 2026)

Clothing and footwear prices in Australia rose 5.0 percent year-on-year in February, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), running 1.3 percentage points above the +3.7 percent headline inflation reading. Australia joins Sweden and China as one of only three markets in the Fashion pulse series where clothing inflation exceeds headline; most other OECD economies show the opposite pattern. Within the fashion basket, accessories and clothing services led at +12.7 percent, driven by higher prices for gold jewellery per ABS commentary. Infants and children’s garments rose 5.9 percent, women’s garments 3.1 percent and men’s garments 1.8 percent. Men’s shoes were the only fashion sub-category in deflation, down 1.1 percent year-on-year. Month-on-month, clothing and footwear rose 2.6 percent as summer sales ended and autumn collections reached stores.