Peter Drennan’s note
After a brief lull over the break, our research engine is firmly back on.
A wave of new datasets is landing from the ABS, the RBA, major banks and leading industry bodies. At the same time, we have multiple national surveys in market to understand how Australians are feeling as we head into 2026. Early signals suggest it is already shaping up as a fast-moving year.
One thing is clear. As audiences grow more sceptical and more selective, verifiable data and defensible analysis will increasingly underpin credible media coverage. We are here for that moment.
You will find a snapshot of our latest insights below: if you want to lift, link and cite them, contact me and I will send you the full insights and analysis.
If you want a heads-up on what we are analysing more broadly, reply and I will send you the shortlist: and if you’re after research and data for a particular story or angle, let me know.
🗓️Datasets landing this week
Westpac Index of Economic Activity MoM - Australia’s leading economic indicator stalled in November, momentum is easing, growth is expected to remain modest through 2026, and interest rate cuts are unlikely before 2027 unless the labour market weakens sharply.
ABS Labour Force - Australia’s labour market softened in November, with employment falling on sharp full-time job losses, participation easing, part-time work absorbing some slack, and the unemployment rate holding steady amid rising underemployment.
📈Other data we’re looking at this week
Housing Approvals - We'll be conducting an analysis of building approval data to uncover trends and insights in the construction and development sector. We'll be looking into high approval growth areas and using this to create forecasts for the upcoming year.
Overseas Arrivals and Departures - Analysis of the hottest holiday destinations for Australians and the busiest times of the year to travel.
Employee Earnings and Hours - Industry growth and decline, in which states people are working and earning more.
⏩ Data we’re looking into Next Week
NAB Business Confidence
ABS Inflation Data
RBA Housing Credit MoM
💡Analysis we released last week
➡️Finance
Housing Crisis Pushes Inflation 52% Above Target: Property Costs Drive National Economic Strain
Housing costs are driving 52% of Australia's inflation above the RBA's target range, with housing inflation at 5.2% while overall inflation sits at 3.4%. The problem has intensified rapidly, inflation was just 1.9% in June 2025 but jumped to 3.4% by November, with housing responsible for more than half that increase. This creates a policy dilemma: raising interest rates to combat inflation further burdens homeowners already struggling with high property costs.
Contribution to Increase in Inflation, Percent contribution to increase in inflation since Jun25 low of 1.9% to 3.4% in Nov25
➡️Property
Priced Out, Moving Out: Top 5 Regional Areas in Each State Where Young Australians Are Building Their Future
A net 35,000 Australians moved to regional areas in 2024, driven by young people aged 20-29 fleeing capital city housing markets where Brisbane now exceeds $1 million and regional properties cost 53-81% less. Queensland coastal towns dominate the migration, with areas like Magnetic Island (18.64% growth) and Paradise Point (15.08% growth) leading the charge.
Top 5 Regional Queensland Areas that Young Australians are Moving
Wagga Wagga Drives Riverina Building Recovery as Approvals Jump 20% After 14% Decline
The Riverina region is recovering from a 14% building approval decline in FY25 (508 to 439 approvals), with a strong 20% rebound in the first four months of FY26 (187 approvals). Wagga Wagga is driving the recovery, bucking regional trends with consistent growth while other centers like Griffith collapsed from 188 to just 81 approvals.
Riverina House Building Approvals - First 4 Months of FY26
➡️Sport
Big Bash 2026 Shatters Scoring Records With 13 Top-100 All-Time Scores, Four in Top 10
The 2026 Big Bash season has broken the tournament's 16-year record for high scores, with 13 totals now in the all-time top 100 (surpassing 2022 and 2025's 12 each) averaging a record 214.8 runs, nearly 11 runs per over. The season produced the highest-scoring match in BBL history when Brisbane Heat (258) narrowly beat Perth Scorchers (257) in a 515-run thriller. With 9 games remaining, the season could reach 16 top-100 scores, and four 2026 games already sit in the top 10 all-time
Top 100 Big Bash Scores by Season
➡️Technology
Digital Detox For New Year? Four In 10 Australians Succeed, But Gen Z Can't Break Free
One in three Australians (34%) have attempted a digital detox, with a 39% overall success rate among those who try. Millennials lead with 21% successfully detoxing and feeling better, while Gen Z faces a stark paradox: they attempt detoxes at the highest rate (57%, four times more than Baby Boomers) but achieve the lowest success rate at just 28%. Regional Australians succeed 51% of the time despite attempting detoxes less frequently (29%), while NSW residents show the worst disconnect between effort and results (41% attempt, only 32% succeed).
Digital Detox Success, Percent of People that Tried a Digital Detox and Succeeded
😮Data we saw this week that made us sit up
When Australia's wealth quietly disappears in the fine print: From 10th to 20th place once you account for what things cost and how long we work to afford them
Australian GDP per capita ranked 10th in the world, but when you take into consideration cost differences we end up at 19th. Adjust again for the number of hours Australians have to work to maintain their standard of living we fall another place to 20th. Behind places like Britain.
America's tiniest elite now owns triple what they did in 1910
The richest 0.00001% of the US population back in 1910 owned wealth equal to 4% of the national income. Fast forward to today and that same 0.00001% now owns equal to 12% of national income.
China's births hit 75-year low as population shrinks for fourth straight year
Last year China registered the lowest number of births since records started in 1950. This was the fourth year in a row that China’s population has declined as policymakers grapple with a demographic crisis.
When a college degree quietly raises your odds of unemployment
Americans with four year degrees now account for 1 in 4 unemployed people in the US. The percentage has doubled since 2008, that’s now 1.9 million degree-holders aged 25 and over currently unemployed. The highest level since data collection began!
#chartcrime
Now for a bit of fun.
#chartcrime is our favourite X handle. What’s going on here?
We’re excited to have launched our new Data for Media website. (It’s the reason you’re receiving this email.)
As new analysis drops, we make it available for journalists to access and utilise.
If you are looking for your own unique research, data and analysis for a story or angle you’re considering, get in contact and we will help out.
Till next time,
