As at 13 October 2026 · official data unless labelled
Business confidence (OECD harmonised index)
What the numbers are telling us
Business confidence was 99.9 in August 2026, up 0.04 points on the previous reading (99.9).
The benchmark is 100, the index's long-run average: above 100 means firms are more confident than usual, below 100 less. The latest reading is 0.08 below it.
It is close to its 10-year average of 100.7.
Across 34 OECD countries (August 2026), Australia ranks 18th best of 34 on business confidence (OECD harmonised index), below the median of 100.1.
Why it matters
How manufacturers see production, orders and stocks of finished goods, harmonised by the OECD from national business surveys and scaled so each country's long-run average is 100. It tends to turn before investment and hiring do.
What it should be
100, the index's long-run average: above 100 means firms are more confident than usual, below 100 less. OECD, composite leading indicators and confidence indices. The OECD median is 100.1.
Every figure on this page is calculated from the stored official series (OECD, Composite leading indicators: confidence indicators (OECD Main Economic Indicators)); the summary is written from the numbers, not edited by hand.