This newsletter contains the latest available information regarding key performance metrics in the Australian Banking sector. Whilst these are the latest, they are still published 1-2 months after the month they relate to.
INFLATION
Inflation is one of the most watched metrics right now as underlying inflation is above the RBA target rate of 2-3% and is the primary factor being RBA interest rate decisions.
What Does Inflation Measure?
Inflation measures the rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services in an economy rises over a period of time. It reflects the decrease in purchasing power of a currency, as consumers are able to buy fewer goods and services with the same amount of money. Ideally inflation should be positive but ideally only around 2.5%.
RBA CASHRATE
The RBA (Reserve Bank of Australia) cash rate is the interest rate set by the RBA that determines what banks and lenders pay to borrow money overnight. It is a key tool used by the RBA to influence the broader economy, particularly inflation and economic growth. Changes in the cash rate affect interest rates on loans and savings, impacting consumer spending, investment, and the overall cost of borrowing. The RBA adjusts the cash rate based on economic conditions to maintain stability and control inflation within its target range.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
The unemployment rate measures the percentage of people in the labour force who are actively seeking work but are unable to find unemployment. It is a key indicator of labour market health and economic performance. The labour force includes people who are either employed or actively looking for work.
What Does the Unemployment Rate Reflect?
A lower unemployment rate generally indicates a healthier economy, as more people are employed and earning income. However, the unemployment rate does not include individuals who are not actively searching for jobs, such as students, retirees, or discouraged workers.
Economists typically consider an unemployment rate between 3-5% to be indicative of full employment, though this range can vary depending on economic conditions in Australia.
HOME LOAN MARKET SHARE
This table shows the entire Home Loan Market based on APRA data. It shows the breakdown in balances and market share across the top 9 banks but also the total of the remaining 114 banks in the Australian Market.
Current Month – CBA (+2 bps) and Westpac (+1 bp) were the only major banks to gain market share this month. NAB (-2 bps) and ANZ (-10 bps) continued to lose share. Among the mid-tier lenders, Macquarie again recorded the strongest market-share gain (+11 bps), followed by ING (+2 bps). BOQ (-2 bps) and Bendigo (-2 bps) recorded small declines while Norfina was flat (0 bps).
Past Year – Macquarie (+101 bps) continues to dominate market-share growth, with CBA (+6 bps) and ING (+20 bps) also posting positive gains. Among the majors, Westpac (-45 bps), NAB (-14 bps), and ANZ (-31 bps) all recorded meaningful declines. In the regionals, BOQ (-33 bps) remains the largest annual loser, while Bendigo (-18 bps) and Norfina (-4 bps) also declined.
BIGGEST HOME LOAN INCREASES AND DECREASES
These tables show the banks which have gained and lost the most amount of balances this month.
DEPOSIT MARKET SHARE
This table shows the entire Deposit Market based on APRA data. It shows the breakdown in balances and market share across the top 9 banks but also the total of the remaining ~114 banks in the Australian Market.
Current Month– CBA (+16 bps), NAB (+4 bps) and ANZ (+10 bps) gained market share this month, while Westpac (-6 bps) recorded a decline. Among the mid-tier lenders, Macquarie recorded the strongest market-share gain (+9 bps), followed by ING (+1 bp). Bendigo (-5 bps), BOQ (-1 bp) and Norfina (-1 bp) all recorded small declines.
Past Year – Macquarie (+103 bps) continues to dominate annual market-share growth, with CBA (+19 bps) also posting solid gains. Among the majors, Westpac (-18 bps), NAB (-20 bps), and ANZ (-32 bps) recorded meaningful declines. In the regionals, BOQ (-23 bps) saw the largest annual contraction, while Bendigo (-17 bps), ING (-8 bps), and Norfina (-8 bps) also declined. The Rest of Market posted a modest gain (+2 bps).
BIGGEST DEPOSIT INCREASES AND DECREASES
These tables show the banks which have gained and lost the most amount of balances this month.
BUSINESS LOAN MARKET SHARE
This table shows the entire Business Loan Market based on APRA data. It shows the breakdown in balances and market share across the top 9 banks but also the total of the remaining ~114 banks in the Australian Market.
Current Month – Westpac (+18 bps) and CBA (+9 bps) gained market share this month, while NAB was flat (0 bps). ANZ (-12 bps) recorded the largest decline among the majors. Among the mid-tier lenders, Macquarie and ING were flat (0 bps), while Bendigo (-2 bps), BOQ (-1 bp) and Norfina (-2 bps) recorded small declines. The Rest of Market (112 banks) also declined (-10 bps).
Past Year – Westpac (+81 bps), CBA (+42 bps) and NAB (+41 bps) recorded strong annual market-share gains. In contrast, ANZ (-86 bps) posted a significant decline. Among the regionals and mid-tier lenders, Macquarie (+4 bps) and BOQ (+4 bps) recorded modest gains, while ING (-16 bps), Bendigo (-6 bps), and Norfina (-12 bps) declined. The Rest of Market recorded a meaningful annual contraction (-53 bps).
BIGGEST BUSINESS LOAN INCREASES AND DECREASES
These tables show the banks which have gained and lost the most amount of balances this month.
TOTAL MARKET CREDIT CARD SPEND
This chart shows the total spending each month on credit cards. It reflects consumer confidence, economic health, seasonal spending trends, and also general use of the credit card product. Higher spending highlights a higher reliance on credit for purchases, however this spending does not always translate into interest bearing balances if consumers pay their cards off quickly.
TOTAL MARKET CREDIT CARD ACCOUNTS
This chart shows the total number of credit card accounts outstanding in the market. It reflects overall consumer participation in credit card products and provides insight into the size of the active credit card base within the banking system. The number of accounts can be influenced by factors such as consumer confidence, interest rate settings, lending policies, and broader economic conditions. Credit card account volumes indicate the level of product adoption across households and businesses, but do not necessarily reflect spending levels or interest-bearing balances, as customers may pay off their cards in full each month.
TOTAL MARKET CREDIT CARD BALANCES
This chart shows the total borrowing amount owing on credit card cards each month. There is usually a strong correlation between this chart and the amount of spending each month. The trend is broadly up over the past year.
TOTAL MARKET CREDIT CARD LIMITS
Total market credit card limits show the maximum amount of credit available to consumers across all (business and personal) credit cards in the market.
TOTAL MARKET CREDIT CARD REVOLVE RATE
The credit card revolve rate shows the percentage of credit card balances that are accruing interest. It reflects how many cardholders are not paying their balances in full each month and are instead incurring interest on their unpaid balances. A higher revolve rate indicates more consumers are relying on credit and accruing interest, while a lower rate suggests more consumers are paying off their balances in full. The market revolve rate seems to have stabilised over the past 12 months.
CREDIT CARD MARKET SHARE
This table shows the entire Credit Card Market based on APRA data. It shows the breakdown in balances and market share across the top 9 banks but also the total of the remaining banks in the Australian Market (although most banks do not offer credit cards).
Current Month – CBA (+7 bps), Macquarie (+1 bp), ING (+1 bp) and the Rest of Market (+5 bps) gained market share this month. Westpac (-2 bps), NAB (-8 bps), ANZ (-1 bp), Bendigo (-1 bp) and BOQ (-3 bps) recorded declines. The Big 4 total declined (-4 bps), while the Next 5 total also contracted (-2 bps).
Past Year – NAB (+52 bps) and CBA (+39 bps) recorded strong annual market-share gains. In contrast, Westpac (-41 bps) and ANZ (-20 bps) posted meaningful declines. Among the mid-tier lenders, ING (+4 bps) and Bendigo (+2 bps) recorded modest gains, while Macquarie (-7 bps) and BOQ (-21 bps) declined. The Big 4 total increased over the year (+30 bps), while the Next 5 total contracted (-23 bps). The Rest of Market recorded a small annual decline (-8 bps).
BIGGEST CREDIT CARD INCREASES AND DECREASES
These tables show the banks which have gained and lost the most amount of balances this month.
TOTAL MARKET DEBIT CARD SPEND
This chart shows the total spending each month on debit cards. It reflects consumer confidence, economic health, seasonal spending trends, and also general use of the debit product. Higher spending highlights a higher use of cash (not credit) for purchases.
TOTAL MARKET DEBIT CARD ACCOUNTS
This chart shows the total number of debit card accounts outstanding in the market. The use of debit cards has been increasing over time as customers move increasingly away from cash, EFTPOS, and credit. The number of accounts/cards per customer is also increasing.
ATM WITHDRAWALS
The amount of ATM withdrawals in the market highlights the remaining demand for cash. After fluctuating over the past year, withdrawals appear to be stabilising, with a noticeable increase this month. December recorded $10.2 billion in withdrawals.
ATM WITHDRAWAL SIZE
This chart shows the average size of an ATM withdrawal. Whilst total withdrawals are broadly remaining constant (small increase for inflation), the average amount of withdrawal is slowly increasing.
CHEQUE USE
Whilst most of us don’t use cheques, they remain a transaction method totalling $14.29 billion in December 2025. Most of these are either Bank Cheques or Commercial Cheques, with Personal Cheques accounting for a smaller share of overall value.
COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, OR SUGGESTIONS
We prepare this information so people who have an interest in staying up to data on the latest Australian Banking trends can do so without significant effort. We are however only human and if we have made a mistake or you’d like to see something else reported here, please get in touch and let us know.
Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), “Monthly Authorised Deposit-taking Institution Statistics”, December 2025
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), “Payments Data”, December2025
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), “Interest Rates”, December 2025
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), “Monthly Consumer Price Index Indicator”, December 2025
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), “Consumer Price Index, Australia”, December 2025
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), “Labour Force, Australia”, December 2025
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), “Retail Trade, Australia”, December December 2025