Australia posts ‘soft’ growth as economic gloom remains

SYDNEY, Sept 04 (AFP): Australia's ailing economy recorded another quarter of near moribund growth, with data Wednesday showing second-quarter gross domestic product expanded just 0.2 per cent from the previous three months.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics said government spending had just about offset "subdued" consumer activity in the three months to June, as consumers continued to feel the pinch from high prices.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers blamed the "soft growth" on "global economic uncertainty, higher interest rates and persistent but moderating inflation". "Around the world, higher interest rates and persistent price pressures are hurting people and weakening growth," he said.

The economy has grown a paltry 1.0 per cent in the past year, with per capita GDP falling 1.5 per cent.

Wednesday's data will fuel calls for the Reserve Bank of Australia to cut interest rates, which have risen steadily since 2022 in a bid to tame inflation.