The figure would still see up to around 100,000 homeowners falling behind on their mortgage payments by October unless interest rates ease or their wages increase.
Borrowers hoping for an interest rate cut - or a timeline of when variable rates may come down - were given little by a central bank patiently awaiting new data.
Exactly two months out from budget night, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said there'll be no repeat of the surging revenue from high resource prices that drove last year's record surplus.
Australian households continued their economic cutback in February despite a certain pop megastar driving a huge increase in spending at music festivals and event venues.
Australians living in outer-city suburbs and rural areas are the biggest beneficiaries of the government's reworked stage 3 tax cuts, new analysis shows.
Despite headline data suggesting the cost of living crisis may finally be easing, few Australian households would have found covering their essentials has got any easier.
The world's most valuable automaker said its sales growth this year "may be notably lower" than last as it continued developing the "next-generation" vehicle, likely a lower-priced model.
A 'novelty' alcoholic drink sold at Dan Murphy's and BWS stores across Australia has been recalled because of fears a button battery may become loose, leading to severe or fatal injuries.
Economists might be predicting an interest rate cut or two in the latter half of the year, but the IMF has called on the Reserve Bank to push rates in the other direction.
While pay for corporate chiefs has dipped amid, CEOs continue to rake in amounts most Aussies only dream of, the Australian Financial Review survey found.
Australian wages have recorded the largest quarterly growth in the 26-year history of the Wage Price Index, but still remain below the level of inflation.