Australia’s NAB Business Confidence Index fell to -13 in September 2026 from a revised -9 in the prior month, its lowest since May and the seventh straight month of negative sentiment. Confidence stayed well below average amid oil price volatility and renewed Middle East tensions, heightening cost concerns. Sentiment weakened in five of eight industries, though mining, wholesale and retail improved. Meanwhile, business conditions were broadly steady, as modest gains in profitability and trading were offset by employment sliding to a five-year low. Purchase costs remained elevated, continuing to outpace final price growth, while capacity utilisation stayed above average in most sectors, underscoring persistent pressures. The survey points to slower Q3 growth and softer labour demand ahead. The mix of weak confidence, high costs, above-average utilisation and subdued profitability highlights risks of further price pass-through and a sharper slowdown in activity into late 2026. source: National Australia Bank

Business Confidence in Australia decreased to -13 points in September from -8 points in August of 2026. Business Confidence in Australia averaged 4.46 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 November of 2026.

Business Confidence in Australia decreased to -13 points in September from -8 points in August of 2026. Business Confidence in Australia is expected to be -11.00 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
2026-09-08 01:30 AM
NAB Business Confidence
Aug -8 -6 -8
2026-10-13 12:30 AM
NAB Business Confidence
Sep -13 -9 -9
2026-11-10 12:30 AM
NAB Business Confidence
Oct -13 -14


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Bankruptcies 1222.00 1808.00 Companies Sep 2026
Building Capital Expenditure 2.10 -3.30 percent Jun 2026
NAB Business Confidence -13.00 -9.00 points Sep 2026
Business Inventories -0.20 0.70 percent Jun 2026
Capacity Utilization 77.20 79.40 percent Sep 2026
Passenger Car Sales 13796.00 13592.00 Units Sep 2026
Changes in Inventories 71.00 749.00 AUD Million Jun 2026
Composite Leading Indicator 99.95 99.99 points Sep 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 -24.20 -1.60 points Sep 2026
Ai Group Services Index -31.10 -0.20 points Sep 2026
Ai Group Construction Index -34.50 -4.70 points Sep 2026
Ai Group Manufacturing Index -8.70 -14.90 points Sep 2026
Westpac Leading Index MoM -0.10 0.00 percent Sep 2026
Manufacturing Production 1.10 3.20 percent Jun 2026
Mining Production 0.30 3.10 percent Jun 2026
New Orders 20.00 7.00 points Sep 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 102924.00 100939.00 Units Sep 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
-13.00 -9.00 23.00 -68.00 1997 - 2026 points Monthly
SA

News Stream
Australia Business Sentiment Slips to 4-Month Low
Australia’s NAB Business Confidence Index fell to -13 in September 2026 from a revised -9 in the prior month, its lowest since May and the seventh straight month of negative sentiment. Confidence stayed well below average amid oil price volatility and renewed Middle East tensions, heightening cost concerns. Sentiment weakened in five of eight industries, though mining, wholesale and retail improved. Meanwhile, business conditions were broadly steady, as modest gains in profitability and trading were offset by employment sliding to a five-year low. Purchase costs remained elevated, continuing to outpace final price growth, while capacity utilisation stayed above average in most sectors, underscoring persistent pressures. The survey points to slower Q3 growth and softer labour demand ahead. The mix of weak confidence, high costs, above-average utilisation and subdued profitability highlights risks of further price pass-through and a sharper slowdown in activity into late 2026.
2026-10-13
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