Childcare Cost Index (CPI) — methodology

What this metric measures

ABS Consumer Price Index for child care — the cost of childcare to households. Published as an index number (the ABS CPI reference period = 100), not a weekly dollar figure.

Why it matters: Childcare costs are one of the largest household expenses for families with young children. High costs can deter workforce participation, especially for women, reducing household income and economic productivity.

Source & provenance

Publisher

Dept of Education — Child Care in Austra

Update frequency

quarterly

Licence

CC BY 4.0

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How the score is computed

The score is a 0–100 normalisation of the latest observation, compared to a baseline window. The traffic-light rating (RAG) reflects both the absolute level and the recent trend.

Direction

Lower is better

Trend window

60 months

Baseline

Last 10 years

{
  "red_min_pct_of_baseline": 110,
  "amber_max_pct_of_baseline": 110,
  "green_max_pct_of_baseline": 95
}