Australia’s NAB Business Confidence Index fell to -8 in August 2026 from -6 in the previous month, marking the lowest reading since May. Meanwhile, business conditions slid to a six-year low, dropping below the long-run average since mid-2025, amid declines in sales, profitability, and employment. The deterioration pointed to a broad-based weakening in business activity, with firms becoming more cautious about demand and operating conditions. The survey also suggested that cost pressures remained elevated, while forward orders softened, highlighting growing headwinds to business investment and hiring. The subdued confidence and weakening conditions may reinforce expectations that the Reserve Bank of Australia will remain cautious on further policy easing, particularly as inflationary pressures remain sticky. source: National Australia Bank

Business Confidence in Australia decreased to -8 points in August from -6 points in July of 2026. Business Confidence in Australia averaged 4.51 points from 1997 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 23.00 points in October of 2021 and a record low of -68.00 points in March of 2020. This page provides - Australia Business Confidence - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. Australia Business Confidence - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on September of 2026.

Business Confidence in Australia decreased to -8 points in August from -6 points in July of 2026. Business Confidence in Australia is expected to be -9.00 points by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Australia Business Confidence is projected to trend around -6.00 points in 2027 and 4.00 points in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-08-11 01:30 AM
NAB Business Confidence
Jul -6 -6 -6
2026-09-08 01:30 AM
NAB Business Confidence
Aug -8 -6 -8
2026-10-13 12:30 AM
NAB Business Confidence
Sep -8 -9


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Bankruptcies 1211.00 1334.00 Companies Jul 2026
Building Capital Expenditure 2.10 -3.30 percent Jun 2026
NAB Business Confidence -8.00 -6.00 points Aug 2026
Business Inventories -0.20 0.70 percent Jun 2026
Capacity Utilization 79.40 74.00 percent Aug 2026
Passenger Car Sales 13592.00 13393.00 Units Aug 2026
Changes in Inventories 71.00 749.00 AUD Million Jun 2026
Composite Leading Indicator 100.04 100.06 points Aug 2026
Company Gross Profits 134696.00 132311.00 AUD Million Jun 2026
Corruption Index 76.00 77.00 Points Dec 2025
Corruption Rank 12.00 10.00 Dec 2025
Industrial Production 0.50 2.50 percent Jun 2026
Industrial Production Mom 0.20 -0.90 percent Jun 2026
Ai Group Industry Index -3.50 -26.30 points Aug 2026
Ai Group Services Index -0.20 -21.80 points Aug 2026
Ai Group Construction Index -6.90 -43.50 points Aug 2026
Ai Group Manufacturing Index -16.60 -19.30 points Aug 2026
Westpac Leading Index MoM 0.00 0.00 percent Aug 2026
Manufacturing Production 1.10 3.20 percent Jun 2026
Mining Production 0.30 3.10 percent Jun 2026
New Orders 33.00 33.00 points Mar 2026
Plant Machinery Capital Expenditure -8.90 18.40 percent Jun 2026
Private Capital Expenditure -3.60 6.90 percent Jun 2026
New Vehicle Sales 100939.00 103656.00 Units Aug 2026


Australia Business Confidence
The NAB monthly survey of business confidence is based on a telephone survey of around 600 small, medium and large size non-agricultural companies. The Survey measures the expectations of business conditions for the upcoming month and is a simple average of trading, profitability and employment indices, reported by respondents for their company. The indices are calculated by taking the difference between the percentage of respondents nominating good or very good, or a rise and those nominating poor or very poor, or a fall.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
-8.00 -6.00 23.00 -68.00 1997 - 2026 points Monthly
SA

News Stream
Australia Business Sentiment Slips to 3-Month Low
Australia’s NAB Business Confidence Index fell to -8 in August 2026 from -6 in the previous month, marking the lowest reading since May. Meanwhile, business conditions slid to a six-year low, dropping below the long-run average since mid-2025, amid declines in sales, profitability, and employment. The deterioration pointed to a broad-based weakening in business activity, with firms becoming more cautious about demand and operating conditions. The survey also suggested that cost pressures remained elevated, while forward orders softened, highlighting growing headwinds to business investment and hiring. The subdued confidence and weakening conditions may reinforce expectations that the Reserve Bank of Australia will remain cautious on further policy easing, particularly as inflationary pressures remain sticky.
2026-09-08
Australia Business Sentiment Stays Weak
Australia’s NAB Business Confidence Index held at -6 in July 2026, unchanged from a revised reading in the previous month and remaining well below the level recorded in February before the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began. Meanwhile, business conditions edged up (4 vs 3 in June), but stayed below the long-run average of 7. Employment and profitability improved, while sales were unchanged. Capacity utilisation rose sharply to 83.0%, led by the finance, business and property, and wholesale industries. NAB said that despite improved outcomes from the peak impact of the Middle East crisis, “elevated uncertainty has continued to weigh on business confidence.” It also noted that cost pressures alongside a softer outlook for forward demand were likely to keep margins under pressure. Final prices and purchase costs increased, driven largely by swings in fuel prices, with transport and utilities among the key contributors.
2026-08-11
Australia Business Sentiment Hits 4-Month High
Australia’s NAB Business Confidence Index jumped to -5 in June 2026 from -14 in May, marking its strongest reading since February as sentiment improved following the easing of geopolitical tensions. Meanwhile, business conditions held steady at 3 for a third consecutive month after the U.S. and Iran reached an agreement to end their multi-month conflict in the Middle East. Price pressures also moderated, with product price growth slowing to its weakest pace since February and retail prices falling for the first time in seven years, according to the survey. Despite the improvement in confidence, the results continued to point to subdued business activity through the first half of 2026. NAB noted that while the Middle East conflict had raised concerns over growth and inflation, its impact on business activity and pricing proved less severe than initially feared, helping support a more resilient business environment.
2026-07-14