SAUL ESLAKE

Economist

SAUL ESLAKE

‘Welcome to my website …
I’m an independent economist, speaker, company director
and Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Tasmania’

The Australian Economy


Australia hasn’t had a recession – in the widely used sense of two or more consecutive quarters of negative real GDP growth – since 1991. Since then, Australia’s ranking among nations in terms of per capita GDP has risen from 22nd to, in the last four years, either 12th or 13th, behind only the United States, Norway, Switzerland and a number of other smaller states which are predominantly either oil producers or financial centres. Australia’s economic performance reflects a combination of luck and management – the relative importance and quality of which have varied significantly from time to time. Monitoring the performance of and analysing the prospects for the Australian economy has been the major part of my ‘day job’ since I completed my university degree in 1979.

Disruptive Economic Forces

The Australian Economy | 6th November 2015

Presentation to the Queensland Division of the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA)’s Annual Developers’ Conference at Sanctuary Cove, Queensland, 6th November 2015


An Australian Recession: Possible, but not Probable

The Australian Economy | 19th August 2015

Presentation to the Portfolio Construction Forum’s 2015 Conference, Australian Technology Park, Sydney, 19th August 2015


The future of manufacturing isn’t in a return to the past

The Australian Economy | 15th August 2015

Article published in ‘Management Today’, the magazine of the Australian Institute of Management, August 2015


The ‘Asian Century’ – Implications for Australia and for Melbourne

Australian Society and Politics, The Australian Economy | 26th October 2012

Address to the Metro Planning Strategy Joint Industry Symposium, Melbourne, 26th October 2012


The Global Financial Crisis and its Impact on the Australian Economy

The Australian Economy | 3rd June 2009

Presentation to the Queensland CFO Summit, Brisbane, 3rd June 2009


Australia and Britain – How the China-Driven Commodities Boom is Causing Their Economic Cycles to Diverge

The Australian Economy | 26th September 2007

Talk to a luncheon hosted by the Australia-Britain Chamber of Commerce, 26th September 2007


Financial implications of an ageing population

The Australian Economy | 25th May 2007

Presentation to Aged & Community Care Victoria’s State Congress and Trade Exhibition, 25th May 2007


The Australian Economy

The Australian Economy | 15th January 2007

Presentation to Economics and Politics students from the University of Delaware (who were visiting Australia as part of their course), 15th January 2007 (this is a general introduction to the Australian economy including a compare-and-contrast with the US economy)


ECONOMIC CHART PACK


Beginning in June 2020, Saul began publishing the Coronavirus Impact Chart Pack, a weekly publication tracking the course of Covid-19 and its impact on economies around the world, including Australia and New Zealand. Starting at just under 60 pages, by the second half of 2021 it had grown to more than 150 pages.

From the beginning of this year, 2022, the Chart Pack has been replaced with three separate publications:

Each of these chart packs will continue to trace the impact of the virus (for as long as that’s relevant), economic data, developments in monetary and fiscal policy, trends in financial markets, and (where relevant) political developments. They will be accessible to subscribers of the Premium Access package.

The World Economy chart pack will have sections covering the global economy, and the economies of major regions – including the United States, Europe, China, Japan, other East Asian countries, India, Canada, Australia and New Zealand (very briefly), Latin America and Central & Eastern Europe.


"I see a lot of chart packs in my line of work, but yours is about the best I have seen. It is amazingly comprehensive, covering far more of the world than any individual is entitled to cover, the charts are clear and easy to understand and they drill down into each topic in a very satisfying way. So well done, Saul."

Alan Kohler, ABC finance presenter, founder of Eureka Report


"A timely and comprehensive summary from one of Australia's best economists."

Adam Creighton, Economics Editor for The Australian


“I continue to find your thinking invaluable - this year to my ritual weekend reading of the economist I have happily added ‘Saul’s latest’.”

Rufus Black, former Managing Partner of McKinsey’s, and currently Vice-Chancellor of the University of Tasmania


“Your chart pack is amazing - and thanks for offering to add me to the mailing list, that would be great to be included. Everything you could want to know is there - and the way the data are organised and presented to tell the stories makes it so easy to follow.”

Prof Jeff Borland, Truby Williams Professor of Economics, The University of Melbourne, Website


“An excellent summary. Although I take a great interest in what’s happening with COVID-19 day by day In Australia and Internationally, I always find your weekly summary a very interesting review of the past week.”

retired former Chief Executive Officer of a District Hospital Service in New South Wales


THE WORLD ECONOMY THIS WEEK
5th September 2022



This chart pack, published on Monday morning (Eastern Australian time) each week, portrays developments in the global economy and in the economies of major nations and regions – the United States, Europe, China, Japan, other East Asian economies, India, Canada, Australia & New Zealand*, Latin America and Central & Eastern Europe – with particular emphasis on:

  • the impact of Covid-19,
  • economic growth,
  • labour markets,
  • international trade and payments,
  • inflation,
  • fiscal and monetary policy,
  • bond, currency and stock markets, and
  • where relevant, political developments

The pack typically runs to 110-120 pages and includes more than 570 individual charts as well as tables and text.

* for more detailed coverage of Australia and New Zealand please see The Australian Economy this Week and The New Zealand Economy this Month, respectively.

THE WORLD ECONOMY THIS WEEK 2022-09-05

THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY THIS WEEK
2nd September 2022



This chart pack, published on Friday evening (Eastern Australian time) each week, portrays developments in the Australian economy, with particular emphasis on:

  • the impact of Covid-19,
  • broad indicators of economic growth,
  • conditions in the business sector
  • the household sector, and consumer spending
  • housing finance and construction. and the residential property market
  • the labour market
  • commodity prices, trade and the balance of payments
  • inflation,
  • fiscal and monetary policy,
  • Australian financial markets

Closer to this year’s federal elections – which have to be held no later than 29th May – we will include some pages on political developments as well.

The pack typically runs to 80-90 pages and includes some 280 charts.

For coverage of the global economy, please see The World Economy this Week

THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY THIS WEEK 2022-09-02

EVENTS

Saul Eslake online presentation


“You are the best economic thinker in the country hands down”

Sheryle Bagwell, recently retired Senior Business Correspondent (and sometime Executive Producer),
ABC Radio National Breakfast


“Just want to congratulate you Saul on the unbelievably good set of slides you just presented, possibly the best I have ever seen. You have set the bar very high.”

Dr Joe Flood, Adjunct Fellow, RMIT University, Pandemicia


“Thank you very much for your excellent presentation for the Economic Society today. It is always a great pleasure to hear your eloquent, up-to-date and comprehensive talks.”

Andrew Trembath, economist, Victorian and Australian Government agencies


online events @ saul-eslake.com



Request Speaking Engagement

WHAT'S NEW

Most Recent Articles, Talks and Presentations


The World Economy this Week 2022-09-05

The World Economy This Week | 5th September 2022

The Australian Economy this Week 2022-09-02

The Australian Economy This Week | 2nd September 2022

Towards a Healthy Housing System and Why Social Housing isn’t Enough on its Own
Housing
17th August 2022


Papua New Guinea in the World Economy
The Global Economy
15th August 2022


Some Reflections on Inflation, Economic Growth and on Monetary and Fiscal Policy
Economic Policies, The Australian Economy
11th August 2022


The Risk of Recession
Economic Video, News, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy
10th August 2022


Managing the Budget
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Economic Video, The Australian Economy
9th August 2022


Treasurer’s Ministerial Statement on the Economy
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, News, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy
31st July 2022


June quarter inflation figures
News, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy
28th July 2022


Consumer prices surge to 21-year high
Economic Policies, News, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy
27th July 2022


Critics call for World Trade Organization reform
Globalization, Recent Media Interview, The Global Economy
27th July 2022


The Australian Economy – What’s in Store?
The Australian Economy
20th July 2022


The risks of recessions in Europe, the US and Australia
Economic Policies, News, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy, The Global Economy
13th July 2022


RBA raised rate for the third time
Australian Society and Politics, Economic Policies, Housing, Recent Media Interview, The Australian Economy
6th July 2022


VIDEO

Recent Presentations


See more


TESTIMONIALS

What Others Say


“You are one of the best at what you do in the world”
Gail Fosler, Chief Economist, The Conference Board, New York, December 2002

“I have never known an economist to have such a knowledge of world economic facts and to be able to bring to bear so much information in answering a question without notice”
Charles Goode, Chairman, ANZ Bank, July 2009

“Saul Eslake is … a highly regarded independent economist with the highest degree of integrity"
John Durie, Columnist, The Australian, July 2009

“… one of the few people in this world who can have so many oranges up in the air at the same time but still manage to catch them"
Andrew Clark, journalist, Australian Financial Review, November 2008

Read more

LINKS

Useful Links