Australian Industry Index®

The Australian Industry Index® is representative of the modern industrial ecosystem. It brings together the manufacturing, construction, engineering, technology and business services sectors – industries which together account for 36% of the Australian economy.

Recognising the heritage and importance of the Australian PMI® and Australia PCI®, both will continue as sub-indicators available within the Australian Industry Index®, however, there will no longer be separate release dates for these indexes.

The Australian Industry Index® is published on the first working Wednesday of each month (or the following working day if the Wednesday is a national holiday): Australian Industry Index release dates 2026


March 2026: Initial impacts of energy crisis hit industry

Key findings

  • The Australian Industry Index® fell by 19.9 points to -23.6 in March, the steepest recorded monthly fall in the series.
  • Initial impacts from the energy crisis are now being reported by industry, with sharp falls across the activity, employment, input price and new orders indicators.
  • Manufacturers reported initial impacts from fuel and freight pricing pressures, with food especially affected.
  • Construction reported a sharp decline in new orders due to increased uncertainty, alongside anticipated cost pressures as fuel and materials prices begin to rise.
  • These issues are expected to spread to industrial materials in coming months as fuel disruptions move through supply chains.

Economic Intelligence newsletter

April 2026

In the April edition of Economic Intelligence we cover:

    • A crisisforward budget for an uncertain economic environment: Our research note explores how the May Budget navigates the trade‑offs posed by the energy crisis, balancing short‑term emergency spending pressures with longer‑term spending and tax reform to support economic stability and recovery by 2027.
    • Tracking Australian industry: Geopolitical conflict heightened concerns about stagflation; policy settings continued to weigh on household spending; labour market resilient in March; differences in employment trends across occupations; industrial construction remained soft; and investment growth was driven mainly by data centre projects.
    • Q&A with AustralianSuper: The Investment Team at AustralianSuper share their views on the drivers of the investment markets.
    • Economic Forecasts: The Treasurer’s modelling shows the Middle East conflict could trigger either a brief, contained oil‑price shock with temporary inflation effects or a longer‑lasting rise in prices that keeps inflation elevated and weakens growth for at least next three years.

    Detailed Index Data

    Our reports and time series data for the Ai Group Australian Industry Index® are available free of charge to members at any time via email from our economics research team economics@australianindustrygroup.com.au. Our data is available to non-members on an annual subscription basis or a one-off purchase. Our data subscribers receive the report and time series data for the activity index, sector and selected states via email each month.

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    Australian Industry Group is the peak membership body for Australian industry, linking you to the insights, services and expertise you need to be successful. As a member of Australian Industry Group, you are part of a powerful, credible and experienced industry community.