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The Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research has worked for over 60 years to advance opportunity, equity, and prosperity in Australia and our region. Our world-class economists conduct rigorous, independent research and analysis, providing an evidence base for effective policy reform. We are a trusted partner for governments, industry, and communities, working to solve the complex challenges of our time.
News
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Reform wasn’t meant to be easy. Here’s how the battles for Medicare and child support defeated vested interests
Can you imagine Australia without Medicare, the age pension, or with 50% tariffs on imported goods such as cars, clothes and shoes? Institutions we take for granted now took many decades of agitating, fighting vested interests and staring down passive resistance to be created. This is the realpolitik of economics.
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Consumer inflation expectations unchanged in September
The expected inflation rate (30-per-cent trimmed mean measure) was unchanged in September at 4.9 per cent.
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Why health insurance cuts for the over‑65s won’t swamp public hospitals after all
The controversy surrounding the federal government’s plan to scrap extra private health insurance rebates for the over-65s continues. Not everyone agrees on the impact of the higher premiums, whether that’s the number of people set to cancel their cover or the impact on the public health system.
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Carrot or stick? What separating Australia’s health insurance penalty from its subsidy reveals about smarter tax design
The Australian government uses both a carrot and a stick to encourage people to buy private health insurance (PHI). The carrot is a premium subsidy for people who buy PHI (the PHI Rebate), costing $7.6 billion a year. The stick is a tax penalty (the Medicare Levy Surcharge, or MLS) applied to higher earners who don’t purchase it.
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Monthly inflation rose in August
The Melbourne Institute Monthly Inflation Gauge increased for a second consecutive month in August, after falling in May and June.
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Per-capita recession likely — too early to call
GDP per capita fell by 0.1 per cent in the March quarter. Nevertheless, the per capita expansion is dated as having continued in the March quarter.
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Third and Final Nowcast in the June Quarter 2026 is 0.2 per cent
The Melbourne Institute anticipates that Australian economic growth in the June quarter is likely to be weak (0.2 per cent).
