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Takeaway coffee sales plunge as fuel and living costs dent Australian spending. Is the economy next?

inflation are [weighing on the Australian economy](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/apr/14/stagflationary-shock-from-iran-war-a-nightmare-as-confidence-among-australian-households-crashes), forecasting has become particularly challenging due to uncertainty over how the Middle East conflict might be resolved. AMP’s chief economist, Shane Oliver, says

Feeling gloomy about the economy? The ‘vibecession’ has arrived in Australia – but experts are less worried

inflation was accelerating again, forcing the Reserve Bank to start ratcheting up interest rates. It’s clear that this is a time of [deep uncertainty and anxiety](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/apr/14/stagflationary-shock-from-iran-war-a-nightmare-as-confidence-among-australian-households-crashes). Nevertheless, it is striking that

Wall Street seems to have decided the recession risk is over. Can the Australian market do the same?

Australian sharemarket generally tends to “fly around a bit less” than America’s, which could explain our more modest recovery. At the same time “we have reason to be a bit more concerned” about

China's economy grows faster than expected despite Iran war

impact of the US-Israel war with Iran. Gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 5% in the period, compared to a year earlier, according to official data. Economists had expected the figure to come