Growth per Person
Growth per Person (21235) measures how fast Australia’s output per person is growing: the change over the year in real GDP per capita. Higher readings mean faster growth in living standards. It is one of two components of Employment & GDP (21230), with Labour Market Tightness (21231), and carries half of that node’s weight. Employment & GDP in turn carries a weighting of 0.15 in the Economic Factors (APN Aggregate Macro-Volatility Index™) (21200).
Output per person is read rather than total output because total output also rises with population, which the platform reads separately in Population Growth & Distribution (21410). Productivity, output per hour worked, is read within the 21230 family.
The 2011–2025 baseline includes the 2020 contraction and the 2021 rebound. They widen its standard deviation to 2.07 percentage points, against 1.02 outside 2020–21, so every reading is compressed toward zero by about half: the June quarter 2026 would read −0.18σ against a baseline without those years. ABS revises the national accounts each quarter, so recent quarters can move.
Primary metric: Node Z-Score (Z21235)
Metric typology: single-series Z-score of a growth rate. The level of GDP per capita rises over time, so the node reads its growth, which has no trend (correlation with time −0.13 over the baseline).
Total output, shown as context. Real GDP grew 2.14% over the year to the June quarter 2026, against 0.68% per person. Population growth accounts for most of the growth in total output.
| Input | Source | Frequency | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| GDP per capita, chain volume measures, seasonally adjusted | ABS Australian National Accounts (5206.0), Table 1, A2304404C | Quarterly | September quarter 1973 to June quarter 2026 (growth from September 1974) |
| GDP, chain volume measures, seasonally adjusted (context only) | ABS Australian National Accounts (5206.0), Table 1 | Quarterly | September quarter 1959 to June quarter 2026 |
Tier-1 sovereign statistical release. No commercial data provider dependency exists within this node.
The chart shows the node’s reading in every quarter, measured against the 2011–2025 baseline.
The June quarter 2026 reading, −0.1030σ, ranks 31.4 against 208 quarters and sits inside the normal range of −0.7274σ to +1.5037σ. The highest ranked reading was +4.4357σ in the June quarter 2021, and the lowest −3.8246σ in the June quarter 2020. The 2020 and 2021 readings record the pandemic contraction and rebound. Those quarters sit inside the 2011–2025 baseline and widen its standard deviation, so other readings sit closer to zero than they would against a baseline without them.
Show the data
| Quarter | Reading | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 1974 | −0.4201σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1974 | −1.5428σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1975 | −1.2906σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1975 | +1.3165σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1975 | +0.2425σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1975 | −0.4930σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1976 | +1.4589σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1976 | +0.0578σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1976 | +1.0048σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1976 | +2.1980σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1977 | −0.2599σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1977 | +0.2505σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1977 | −0.3715σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1977 | −0.9540σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1978 | −0.3509σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1978 | −0.6156σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1978 | +0.3604σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1978 | +0.9456σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1979 | +1.9518σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1979 | +0.7081σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1979 | +0.3919σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1979 | +0.9114σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1980 | −0.2025σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1980 | +0.7017σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1980 | +0.4730σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1980 | +0.3262σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1981 | +0.2472σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1981 | +0.8547σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1981 | +1.5555σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1981 | +0.4716σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1982 | −0.1302σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1982 | −0.4633σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1982 | −1.7013σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1982 | −2.2164σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1983 | −2.2575σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1983 | −2.7156σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1983 | −1.0842σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1983 | +0.5319σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1984 | +2.2666σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1984 | +2.9694σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1984 | +2.0172σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1984 | +1.4706σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1985 | +0.9617σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1985 | +1.4819σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1985 | +1.6553σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1985 | +1.1701σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1986 | +0.7806σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1986 | −0.4115σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1986 | −0.9148σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1986 | +0.0094σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1987 | +0.1536σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1987 | +1.0150σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1987 | +1.7573σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1987 | +1.9390σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1988 | +1.6184σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1988 | +0.8722σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1988 | +0.3477σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1988 | +0.1365σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1989 | +0.3927σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1989 | +1.4363σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1989 | +1.5349σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1989 | +0.6229σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1990 | +0.5610σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1990 | −0.4427σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1990 | −1.0935σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1990 | −0.6579σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1991 | −1.6050σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1991 | −1.7318σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1991 | −1.2602σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1991 | −1.4678σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1992 | −0.4696σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1992 | +0.0119σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1992 | +0.2951σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1992 | +1.3071σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1993 | +1.2852σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1993 | +1.2442σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1993 | +0.8174σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1993 | +0.6912σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1994 | +1.1684σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1994 | +1.4539σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1994 | +1.7546σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1994 | +1.4044σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1995 | +0.5226σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1995 | +0.1251σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1995 | +0.8590σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1995 | +0.2605σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1996 | +1.0597σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1996 | +1.1552σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1996 | +0.4369σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1996 | +0.9044σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1997 | +0.5057σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1997 | +1.6950σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1997 | +1.3935σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1997 | +1.6709σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1998 | +1.6121σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1998 | +0.6612σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1998 | +1.4912σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1998 | +1.5330σ | Ranked |
| Q1 1999 | +1.5989σ | Ranked |
| Q2 1999 | +1.2452σ | Ranked |
| Q3 1999 | +0.8598σ | Ranked |
| Q4 1999 | +0.9269σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2000 | +0.7493σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2000 | +1.0447σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2000 | +0.6300σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2000 | −0.3964σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2001 | −0.1692σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2001 | −0.2281σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2001 | +0.1922σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2001 | +0.9723σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2002 | +0.9383σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2002 | +1.3745σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2002 | +0.9345σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2002 | +0.7651σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2003 | +0.4863σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2003 | −0.1666σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2003 | +0.5483σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2003 | +0.9765σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2004 | +1.2499σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2004 | +1.4361σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2004 | +0.9193σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2004 | +0.4552σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2005 | +0.4581σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2005 | +0.2892σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2005 | +0.4694σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2005 | +0.4676σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2006 | +0.0939σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2006 | +0.0015σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2006 | +0.1522σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2006 | +0.3142σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2007 | +0.8885σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2007 | +1.0032σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2007 | +0.8339σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2007 | +0.3874σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2008 | +0.2261σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2008 | +0.0508σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2008 | −0.2309σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2008 | −0.6464σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2009 | −0.6743σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2009 | −0.5090σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2009 | −0.6341σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2009 | +0.0410σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2010 | −0.1635σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2010 | −0.1124σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2010 | +0.1170σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2010 | +0.1527σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2011 | −0.1985σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2011 | +0.0792σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2011 | +0.3727σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2011 | +0.4615σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2012 | +1.0783σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2012 | +0.7879σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2012 | +0.3966σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2012 | +0.0614σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2013 | −0.1765σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2013 | −0.3298σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2013 | −0.1990σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2013 | +0.0028σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2014 | +0.1459σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2014 | +0.2341σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2014 | +0.0498σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2014 | −0.1500σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2015 | −0.0516σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2015 | −0.2383σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2015 | +0.0471σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2015 | +0.1614σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2016 | +0.1135σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2016 | +0.3488σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2016 | −0.1628σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2016 | +0.0831σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2017 | −0.2106σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2017 | −0.2339σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2017 | +0.2501σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2017 | −0.0815σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2018 | +0.2891σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2018 | +0.3519σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2018 | +0.0578σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2018 | −0.0286σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2019 | −0.1476σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2019 | −0.3415σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2019 | −0.2480σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2019 | −0.0808σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2020 | −0.5120σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2020 | −3.8246σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2020 | −2.3265σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2020 | −0.8512σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2021 | +0.4703σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2021 | +4.4357σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2021 | +1.6894σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2021 | +1.6727σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2022 | +0.8284σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2022 | +0.7642σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2022 | +1.6326σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2022 | +0.1042σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2023 | −0.1999σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2023 | −0.5374σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2023 | −0.6034σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2023 | −0.9488σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2024 | −0.9857σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2024 | −0.9505σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2024 | −0.8741σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2024 | −0.6107σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2025 | −0.5561σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2025 | −0.2586σ | Ranked |
| Q3 2025 | −0.1486σ | Ranked |
| Q4 2025 | +0.0962σ | Ranked |
| Q1 2026 | +0.0747σ | Ranked |
| Q2 2026 | −0.1030σ | Ranked |
At −0.1030σ (Q2 2026), output per person is growing slightly more slowly than its 2011–2025 average: 0.68% over the year, against a baseline average of 0.89%. Position. 31.4, ranked against 208 quarters since September 1974.
Growth per person had recovered from the declines of 2023 and 2024, reaching its lowest at −1.14% in the March quarter 2024, to 1.09% in the December quarter 2025 and 1.05% in the March quarter 2026. The June quarter reading is the lowest since September 2025. Total output grew 2.14% over the year, so most of the economy’s growth reflects a larger population rather than higher output per person.
The other nodes of the Employment & GDP family. Only Labour Market Tightness (21231) and Growth per Person (21235) compose into Employment & GDP (21230); the others are read in their own right.
- The sole input is sourced from a Tier-1 sovereign statistical release (ABS national accounts)
- The Z-score of −0.1030σ (Q2 2026) is derived directly from the certified input against its 2011–2025 baseline, not manually entered or estimated
- The position is an empirical percentile rank against 208 quarters
- The effect of the 2020–21 quarters on the baseline standard deviation is disclosed
- No commercial data provider dependency exists within this node
