Chart of the week: Christmas Dinner

As Australians begin to prepare for the festive season, thoughts naturally turn to the prospects of a substantial meal to celebrate Christmas. Unfortunately, the traditional Christmas dinner will likely make a bigger dent in household budgets this year, with the costs of a specially weighted* “Australian Christmas Dinner Index” rising by 2.2% through to September. The increase represents the fastest annual increase in the cost of Christmas dinner since 2012. Since 1989, the cost of Christmas dinner has risen by 92%. All the underlying components of the Australian Christmas Dinner Index have risen over the course of 2019, with Poultry (4.2%), Vegetables (3.1%) and Pork (3.0%) registering the largest price increases. For those that enjoy a Seafood dinner, Fish and other seafood prices have risen by 0.8% since last Christmas. Snacks & confectionary rose by the least amount, registering a 0.2% increase.