United States and Australia
ANZUS, AUKUS and ministerial consultations structure lasting military cooperation. The economy combines trade, services and a business presence. The agreements do not eliminate tariff negotiations and coexist with academic contacts, travel and professional mobility.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07What AUKUS adds
The AUKUS partnership, announced in September 2021, connects Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom in defence capabilities and technology.
The alliance does not remove the need to examine tariffs
DFAT maintains a dedicated page on US tariff measures.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 62,659.3 M USD | 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau |
| Goods: United States to Australia | 33,706 M USD | 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau |
| Goods: Australia to United States | 28,953.3 M USD | 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau |
| Services trade | 39,400 M USDUSTR est. | 2025 · USTR |
| Export share: United States to Australia | ||
| Export share: Australia to United States | ||
| Investment stock: United States in Australia | 190,410 M USDBEA est. | 2025 · BEA |
| Investment stock: Australia in United States | 109,381 M USDBEA est. | 2025 · BEA |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · Goods for January–December 2025, millions of USD, U.S. reporter. Excludes services, affiliate sales and the addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: United States to Australia
- 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · Goods for January–December 2025, millions of USD, U.S. reporter. Excludes services, affiliate sales and the addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: Australia to United States
- 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · Goods for January–December 2025, millions of USD, U.S. reporter. Excludes services, affiliate sales and the addition of mirror reports.
- Services trade
- 2025 · USTR · Bilateral services total estimated and published by USTR. The total is retained, not the sum of rounded components.
- Investment stock: United States in Australia
- 2025 · BEA · Direct investment position at historical cost; immediate counterpart. Not portfolio investment or announced commitments.
- Investment stock: Australia in United States
- 2025 · BEA · Direct investment position at historical cost; immediate counterpart. Not portfolio investment or announced commitments.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | United States | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 30.77 trillion USD2025 · WB | 1.8 trillion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 90,026.52 USD2025 · WB | 65,129.72 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 2.16 %2025 · WB | 1.35 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 3.75–4 %2026-09-16 · Fed | 4.6 %2026-09-29 · RBA |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.7 %IMF est.Annual average · 2025 · IMF | 2.87 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 3.4 %Year-on-year · Aug. 2026 · BLS | 4 %Headline CPI · 2026-08 · year-on-year · ABS |
| Unemployment | 4.2 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 4.09 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -6.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -2.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 123.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 51 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -3.63 %2025 · WB | -2.68 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 341,784,8572025 · WB | 27,614,4112025 · WB |
| Area | 9,831,510 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 7,741,220 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDUnited States: 2025 · World BankAustralia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personUnited States: 2025 · World BankAustralia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)United States: 2025 · World BankAustralia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)United States: 2026-09-16 · Federal funds target range · Federal ReserveAustralia: 2026-09-29 · Cash rate target · RBA · Official central-bank decision; not a commercial lending rate or a bill yield.
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)United States: 2025 · Average annual change in headline CPI (%) · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est. · WEO estimate; not the year-on-year change for December or August 2026. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07Australia: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedUnited States: 2026-08 · Headline CPI change relative to the same month of the previous year (%) · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Published: 2026-09-11 · Headline year-on-year CPI-U, not seasonally adjusted; not monthly or core inflation.Australia: 2026-08 · National headline CPI, change from the same month of the previous year · ABS · Published: 2026-09-30 · Official monthly data. Not mixed with the annual average. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionUnited States: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.Australia: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, % of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)United States: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Australia: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)United States: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Australia: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPUnited States: 2025 · World BankAustralia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Population
- PeopleUnited States: 2025 · World BankAustralia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceUnited States: 2023 · Total area including inland waters; territorial coverage of the source · World Bank · FAOAustralia: 2023 · World Bank / FAO · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
United States to Australia
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
Australia to United States
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
How trade has changed
Billions of current USD · full calendar years
View chart figures
| Period | Total | United States to Australia | Australia to United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 38,909.8 | 26,458.2 | 12,451.6 |
| 2022 | 46,661.7 | 30,514.3 | 16,147.4 |
| 2023 | 49,538 | 33,617.3 | 15,920.7 |
| 2024 | 51,224.8 | 34,585.6 | 16,639.2 |
| 2025 | 62,659.3 | 33,706 | 28,953.3 |
Connections between people
Professional mobility, education and travel connect institutions and people, with rules and measures different from military cooperation. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from United States living in Australia | ||
| Residents from Australia living in United States | ||
| Study and training: United States in Australia | ||
| Study and training: Australia in United StatesStudy and OPT training in the United States | 4,620 | 2024/25 · Open Doors |
| Academic stays: United States in AustraliaU.S. study-abroad stays carrying academic credit | 6,509 | 2023/24 · Open Doors |
| Academic stays: Australia in United States | ||
| Travel: United States to Australia | ||
| Travel: Australia to United StatesResidence in Australia; international arrivals | 958,574arrivals | 2025 · NTTO / U.S. Department of Commerce |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
- Study and training: Australia in United States
- Open Doors: place of origin, enrolment and OPT training. Not visas issued or a count of residents. 2024/25 · Open Doors
- Academic stays: United States in Australia
- Open Doors: mobility carrying academic credit reported by U.S. institutions. A different academic year from the count of foreign students. 2023/24 · Open Doors
- Travel: Australia to United States
- International arrivals in the United States by country of residence; not unique visitors, nationality or emigration. Coverage and revisions of the NTTO series. 2025 · NTTO / U.S. Department of Commerce
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
ANZUS and ministerial consultations
ANZUS was signed in 1951 and entered into force in 1952. Australia invoked the treaty after the September 2001 attacks. AUSMIN meetings bring together foreign affairs and defence leaders to address the military presence, coordination and regional priorities. DFAT places the December 2025 meeting within the mechanism's forty-year history. The treaty and those consultations are different instruments, although they complement one another. [1]
What AUKUS adds
The AUKUS partnership, announced in September 2021, connects Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom in defence capabilities and technology. Its submarine programme concerns nuclear propulsion, not automatically equipping them with nuclear weapons. The project involves industrial schedules and training and infrastructure decisions. A delivery target or future capability must not be presented as though all the submarines were already operational. [1]
A trade agreement and two service economies
AUSFTA entered into force on 1 January 2005. DFAT publishes total goods and services trade in Australian dollars; USTR separately estimates services at 39,400 million US dollars in 2025. The figures are not interchangeable and cannot be added without reviewing currency and coverage. The common table uses Census for goods and BEA for direct investment, rather than treating the Australian aggregate of all foreign investment as direct investment stock. [2] [3]
Study, work and tourism
The DFAT profile describes academic connections and mechanisms such as the E-3 visa for certain Australian professionals. That permit has requirements and does not amount to general free movement. The Open Doors indicators on this page record academic activity in both directions for different academic years. NTTO arrivals in the United States use country of residence. None of these data is used as a substitute for the number of nationals residing in the other country. [1]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
The alliance does not remove the need to examine tariffs
DFAT maintains a dedicated page on US tariff measures. Understanding how a good is treated requires identifying the measure, the product and its effective date, alongside the underlying trade agreement. Defence cooperation and market access follow different rules. This profile links to that operational reference without turning a dated announcement into a universal rate or a permanent guarantee for all exporters. [4]
What recorded goods show
In 2025, recorded goods trade was 62,659.3 million USD. Shipments from the United States to Australia were 33,706 million USD, and those in the opposite direction were 28,953.3 million USD. A single reporter is used for both directions. The difference between those flows describes that source's goods balance, not the entire economic balance: services, subsidiary activity and investment have independent measures. [5]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, currency, definition and source. Blank cells are not zero. Policy documents are distinguished from statistical results, and projects under way from announcements.
- United States country brief
Australia DFAT · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Australia–United States Free Trade Agreement
Australia DFAT · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Trade relations and agreements
USTR · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Latest US tariffs
Australia DFAT · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- TOTAL rows 2021–2025; goods; US reporter; million USD
U.S. Census Bureau · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07