Stock market return (%, year-on-year) in Australia
Australia: Stock market return (%, year-on-year) was 19.3% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Stock market return in Australia, 1984–2021
Source: Bloomberg. Measured in %, year-on-year.
Analysis
Australia recorded 19.3% for stock market return in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 530.7% on the previous year and up 874.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, stock market return in Australia peaked at 45.0% in 1987 and was at its lowest, -19.2%, in 2009.
That places Australia 43rd out of 86 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Stock market return (%, year-on-year) in Australia, year by year
| Year | %, year-on-year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | -0.5% | — |
| 1985 | 20.8% | -4511.8% |
| 1986 | 35.0% | +67.9% |
| 1987 | 45.0% | +28.6% |
| 1988 | -14.6% | -132.5% |
| 1989 | 7.2% | -149.5% |
| 1990 | -5.9% | -181.1% |
| 1991 | 1.5% | -125.4% |
| 1992 | 3.5% | +136.7% |
| 1993 | 15.6% | +342.4% |
| 1994 | 13.9% | -10.9% |
| 1995 | -1.3% | -109.6% |
| 1996 | 11.6% | -972.4% |
| 1997 | 12.4% | +6.7% |
| 1998 | 4.7% | -62.1% |
| 1999 | 11.4% | +143.2% |
| 2000 | 6.7% | -41.1% |
| 2001 | 2.1% | -69.4% |
| 2002 | -2.1% | -200.8% |
| 2003 | -3.7% | +80.3% |
| 2004 | 16.3% | -537.1% |
| 2005 | 20.3% | +24.5% |
| 2006 | 18.7% | -7.9% |
| 2007 | 22.4% | +19.9% |
| 2008 | -19.0% | -184.8% |
| 2009 | -19.2% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 14.9% | -177.8% |
| 2011 | -2.5% | -116.7% |
| 2012 | -4.6% | +84.8% |
| 2013 | 16.5% | -458.1% |
| 2014 | 6.7% | -59.2% |
| 2015 | 1.5% | -77.1% |
| 2016 | -2.6% | -267.3% |
| 2017 | 9.4% | -466.5% |
| 2018 | 4.1% | -56.1% |
| 2019 | 7.2% | +72.9% |
| 2020 | -4.5% | -162.6% |
| 2021 | 19.3% | -530.7% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 19.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 23.7%, 82% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
- Australia's 19.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 14.1%, 1.4× the median. (14 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Stock market return (%, year-on-year) in Australia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | +4511.8% | -0.5% | 20.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 15.5% | -14.6% | 45.0% | 6 |
| 1990s | 6.7% | -5.9% | 15.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.3% | -19.2% | 22.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.1% | -4.6% | 16.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.4% | -4.5% | 19.3% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More financial sector data for Australia
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 11.9 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0013 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 83.74 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 6.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0009 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 61.14 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 11.9 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0013 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 83.74 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 6.56 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is stock market return in Australia?
- Stock market return in Australia was 19.3% in 2021, according to Bloomberg.
- What is the highest stock market return recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 45.0% in 1987.
- What is the lowest stock market return recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was -19.2% in 2009.
- How does Australia rank for stock market return?
- Australia ranks 43rd out of 86 countries with data for 2021.
- Is stock market return rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 874.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Bloomberg, published as part of Stock market return (%, year-on-year). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Stock market return is the growth rate of annual average stock market index. Annual average stock market index is constructed by taking the average of the daily stock market indexes available at Bloomberg.