-- 根據西太平洋銀行和墨爾本研究所週二發布的一項調查，澳洲4月消費者信心大幅下滑，燃料價格和利率上漲加劇了生活成本壓力，嚴重打擊了經濟情緒。 西太平洋銀行-墨爾本研究所消費者信心指數從3月的91.6大幅下降約13%至4月的80.1。 西太平洋銀行澳洲宏觀預測主管馬修·哈桑表示，燃油價格上漲和25個基點的升息再次給澳洲消費者帶來生活成本壓力，導致消費者信心接近歷史低點，並預示著經濟疲軟的局面將持續，類似於2022年至2024年的通膨時期。 該指數的所有組成部分在4月份均大幅下降，其中「當前狀況」的降幅最大，尤其是「家庭財務狀況與一年前相比」的降幅，受燃油成本上漲的影響，該指數下降近17%至66.8。 4月第一周，平均汽油價格達到每公升2.40澳元，較3月份上漲0.37澳元，創下該調查史上最大漲幅。儘管燃油消費稅的臨時下調使價格每公升降低了0.12澳元，但仍未能打破這項紀錄。 消費者對經濟和自身財務狀況的預期急劇惡化，兩項分項指數均下滑。他們預期經濟將持續承壓，霍爾木茲海峽持續的交通中斷將導致燃料價格上漲，且短期內情況難以改善。 由於通膨持續以及澳洲儲備銀行（RBA）可能進一步升息，消費者預計未來一年利率和抵押貸款成本將上升，這削弱了購屋信心。受生活成本壓力影響，「購買大件商品時機」指數下跌15%至83.3。 消費者對中期經濟的預期仍相對堅挺，「未來五年經濟」分項指數下降5.1%至91.4，顯示消費者預期當前的挑戰只是暫時的。 消費者對勞動市場的悲觀情緒日益加劇，4月失業預期上升9.7%至147.8，其中能源和利率敏感型產業（如建築業和旅館業）的失業擔憂尤為顯著。 4月購屋者信心小幅回升，主要受房貸市場成長的帶動，但仍遠低於長期平均；房價預期大幅下降，但仍保持相對樂觀。 由於持續的通膨和能源價格上漲帶來的壓力超過了需求疲軟和實際收入下降的影響，預計澳洲儲備銀行將在5月份再次收緊貨幣政策。
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