The Cost of Living Pressure Gauge, devised by Finder, measures the financial burden on Australian households. It integrates findings from Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker with official government data, providing a clear depiction of the economic challenges faced by consumers. Updated monthly, the model combines monthly and quarterly data on various aspects such as housing stress, salary projections, household debt, financial strain, savings, holiday intentions, credit card expenditure, the RBA cash rate target, property values and inflation. Presently, the Cost of Living Pressure Gauge stands in the very high range, at 73%.
So what exactly does this look like in raw terms?
At a very high pressure level of 73% at the end of March 2025:
Mortgage stress affects 59% of mortgage holders, down from 64% last month.
The proportion of homeowners struggling with mortgage repayments slightly rose to 37% this month from 36% last month. Meanwhile, 45% of renters continue to face difficulties paying rent, down slightly from 46%.
On average, Australians have $50,296 in cash savings, up from last month's $37,042.
71% of Australians feel extremely or somewhat stressed about their finances.
The RBA's cash rate target is 4.10% as of April 2025.
Australian credit card spending reached a record $37.2 billion in February 2025.
47% of the total credit card balances were accumulating interest.
One in four (28%) Aussies are saying they can't handle their finances without a credit card.
Comparatively, at a moderate pressure level of 63% in March 2022:
43% of mortgage holders faced mortgage stress.
Only 31% of homeowners had difficulty paying their mortgages, while 40% of renters struggled to pay their rent.
On average, Australians had $22,565 in cash savings in March 2022.
76% of Australians said they were stressed about their current financial situation.
The cash rate target was significantly lower at 0.10%
Annual inflation was recorded at 2.1% in March 2022.
In March 2022, the total Australian credit card spending was $29.1 billion.
49% of the total credit card balances were accumulating interest.
24% of Australians were saying they can't manage their finances without a credit card.
The March pressure reading shows a continued decline from April 2023's peak of 84%. This reduction is largely due to an increase in total savings and decrease in housing stress reported by consumers via our Consumer Sentiment Tracker. Additionally, there has been a reduction in unpaid credit card balances, as reported by the RBA. Nevertheless, the pressure remains significantly higher than the levels observed throughout most of 2020 and 2021. More information on the methodology behind these figures is provided below.
Methodology
Finder's Cost of Living Pressure Gauge merges data from its Consumer Sentiment Tracker (CST) and the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). Updated monthly, it combines CST data with RBA figures, which are updated either monthly or quarterly. When specific monthly RBA data is unavailable, the preceding quarter's figures are used.
Percentage data in the gauge has a set maximum, or "ceiling", defined as 100% pressure. For example, if a survey question like "How stressed are you about your financial situation?" has an 80% ceiling, then 80% of negative responses (extremely or somewhat stressed) equates to 100% pressure. Responses exceeding this ceiling are capped at 100%. This weighting is applied proportionally. Non-CST data is converted to a percentage as described below in "Data categories explained". After calculating all data, a global weighting is assigned to each figure, as outlined in the table below. Historical pressure figures may be revised if new historical data is released.
Data categories explained
Mortgage/rent stress: Percentage of consumers who identify their mortgage or rent payments as a primary financial stressor.
Mortgage/rent struggle: Percentage of consumers who find it difficult to make their rent or mortgage payments.
Salary sentiment: Percentage of Australians expecting a pay rise within the next year.
Spend sentiment: Percentage of Australians unhappy with the amount they need to spend monthly to maintain their standard of living.
Household debt sentiment: Percentage of Australians who have negative feelings about the level of household debt.
Financial stress: Percentage of Australians who report feeling extremely or somewhat stressed about their finances.
Credit card dependency: Percentage of respondents relying on credit cards to manage their finances.
Holiday plans: Percentage of Australians intending to go on a holiday in the upcoming year.
Savings index: Average monthly savings as a percentage of $1,000 of income.
Total savings index: Average total savings as a percentage of $50,000.
Cash rate index: Current cash rate relative to a 5% benchmark.
Savings rate index: Current average savings account interest rate relative to a 5% benchmark.
Credit card spend index: Total credit card spending as a percentage of a $35 billion benchmark.
Graham Cooke is Finder’s Head of Consumer Research, overseeing data analysis on consumer spending and saving habits. He is a passionate advocate for financial literacy and consumer rights, regularly appearing on major TV networks like ABC News and 7 News, and contributing to top outlets like Yahoo Finance and Money Magazine. Graham holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Physics, as well as Tier 1 and Tier 2 certifications (RG 146) that comply with ASIC standards. See full bio
Graham's expertise
Graham has written 59 Finder guides across topics including:
Home loans and the housing market
Credit cards & personal finance
Finder Awards
Retail economics & FMCG
Travel
Finder's RBA Cash Rate Survey, Consumer Sentiment Tracker, Cost of Living Pressure Gauge and Property Investment Index
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