The benchmark interest rate in Australia was last recorded at 4.10 percent. This dataset provides - Australia Interest Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

A comparison of the Australian target cash rate and the overnight interbank lending rate shows that, after around a decade of being identical, the economic impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to the actual overnight lending rate being lower than the Reserve Bank of Australia's target rate. This means that banks are lending to each other at lower rates than the "official" interest rate. One reason for this is the that the Reserve bank has made money available to banks in several new ways over this period (such as repo agreements where banks can pledge assets for short term funds), increasing liquidity in the banking system. As of May 2024, the overnight interbank cash rate and the target cash rate stood at 4.32 and 4.35 percent, respectively.

Reserve Bank of Australia: Liabilities: Exchange Settlement Balances data was reported at 225,342.000 AUD mn in 19 Mar 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 226,542.000 AUD mn for 12 Mar 2025. Reserve Bank of Australia: Liabilities: Exchange Settlement Balances data is updated weekly, averaging 3,806.000 AUD mn from Jun 1994 (Median) to 19 Mar 2025, with 1608 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 473,090.000 AUD mn in 15 Feb 2023 and a record low of 441.000 AUD mn in 16 Jan 2002. Reserve Bank of Australia: Liabilities: Exchange Settlement Balances data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Reserve Bank of Australia. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.KB043: Balance Sheet: Reserve Bank of Australia: Central Bank.

In March 2003, banks and selected Registered Financial Corporations (RFCs) began reporting their international assets, liabilities and country exposures to APRA in ARF/RRF 231 International Exposures. This return is the basis of the data provided by Australia to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) for its International Banking Statistics (IBS) data collection. APRA ceased the RFC data collection after September 2010. The IBS data are based on the methodology described in the BIS Guide on International Financial Statistics (see http://www.bis.org/statistics/intfinstatsguide.pdf; Part II International banking statistics). Data reported for Australia, and other countries, on the BIS website are expressed in United States dollars (USD). Data are recorded on an end-quarter basis. There are two sets of IBS data: locational data, which are used to gauge the role of banks and financial centres in the intermediation of international capital flows; and consolidated data, which can be used to monitor the country risk exposure of national banking systems. Only consolidated data are reported in this statistical table. Data are shown for a range of countries and regions. Similar data for a selected group of countries are also available in statistical table B13.1. Country and regional groupings are based on the classification used in the IBS. Data presented in this statistical table are immediate risk claims (expressed by the BIS as claims on an immediate borrower basis), which cover exposures on an immediate counterparty location basis. Ultimate risk claims are presented in complementary statistical tables B13.2 and B13.2.1, which cover immediate exposures adjusted (via guarantees and other risk transfers) to reflect the location of the ultimate counterparty/risk. International claims represent cross-border claims in all currencies and foreign offices’ local claims in non-local currencies (which would include, for example, USD claims on New Zealand residents by the New Zealand subsidiary of an Australian-owned bank). This statistical table contains seven data worksheets. Six present data for countries within each specified region, while the 'Summary' worksheet shows total international claims of the globally consolidated operations of Australian-owned banks for each region, international organisations and unallocated. In each of these worksheets, the data in the last column measures total international claims for the region. Total international claims for each country add to total international claims for the region. However, in some quarters, this cannot be directly verified because data for individual countries and regions have blank entries in order to avoid disclosing confidential bank exposures. In the 'Summary' worksheet, the positions by region and international organisation, and unallocated are summed to produce a ‘Total’ figure that represents reporting entities’ total international exposures.

On November 8, 2023, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) increased the interest rate by 0.25 percentage points, bringing the interest rate to 4.35 percent. This was the thirteenth interest rate increase by the RBA since November 4, 2020, which saw the interest rate drop to a record 0.1 percent.

This dataset does not contain any resources hosted on data.gov.au. It provides a link to the location of the Reserve Bank of Australia Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosure log to aide in information and data discovery. You can find the FOI Disclosure log here and the Agency's Information Publication Scheme here.

The data.gov.au team is not responsible for the contents of the above linked pages.

Reserve Bank of Australia: Liabilities: Deposits: State Government data was reported at 378.000 AUD mn in 12 Mar 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 10.000 AUD mn for 05 Mar 2025. Reserve Bank of Australia: Liabilities: Deposits: State Government data is updated weekly, averaging 87.000 AUD mn from Jun 1994 (Median) to 12 Mar 2025, with 1607 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,311.000 AUD mn in 07 Oct 2020 and a record low of 1.000 AUD mn in 02 Jul 2014. Reserve Bank of Australia: Liabilities: Deposits: State Government data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Reserve Bank of Australia. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.KB043: Balance Sheet: Reserve Bank of Australia: Central Bank. The data is provided on a lagged basis up to 4 months.

Graph and download economic data for Australian Bank Transactions: RBA Spot and Forward Transactions: Net with Dealers (AUD Millions) from 1983-12-12 to 2006-12-29 about intervention, dealers, Australia, Net, banks, and depository institutions.

Credit unions became authorised deposit-taking institutions (ADIs) under the Banking Act 1959 on 1 July 1999 when responsibility for their prudential regulation shifted from the States and Territories to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). Since 1 July 1999, credit unions have submitted monthly returns to APRA; prior to that date, they submitted returns to the Reserve Bank under the Financial Corporations Act 1974. In September 2001, APRA implemented new reporting forms for credit unions. From October 2001, data are derived from ARF 323.0: Statement of Financial Position (Licensed ADI). Since December 1999, series have only included data for credit unions with total assets greater than or equal to $50 million.\r \r Selected assets:\r \r ‘Cash and liquid assets’ is composed of ‘Cash’, ‘Balances with ADIs’ and ‘Other’. None of these items include bills of exchange, bills receivable, remittances in transit or certificates of deposit.\r \r ‘Cash’ includes Australian and foreign currency notes and coins, gold coin, gold bullion, and gold certificates held as investments. It excludes loans repayable in gold bullion.\r \r ‘Balances with ADIs’ includes deposits at call with Australian resident banks and other ADIs and settlement account balances due from banks and other ADIs, incorporating receivables for unsettled sales of securities.\r \r ‘Other’ includes deposits at call with Registered Financial Corporations (RFCs) and other financial institutions, net claims on recognised clearing houses in Australia, securities purchased under agreements to resell, funds held with the Reserve Bank and other central banks, and settlement account balances due from the Reserve Bank, other central banks, RFCs and other financial institutions, incorporating receivables for unsettled sales of securities.\r \r ‘Government securities’, ‘ADI securities’, ‘Corporate paper’ and ‘Other securities’ include both trading and investment securities. Trading securities are recorded at net fair value. Investment securities are recorded at cost and adjusted for the amortisation of any premiums and discounts on purchase over the period of maturity.\r \r ‘Government securities’ include securities issued by the Australian, State, Territory and local governments and State and Territory central borrowing authority (CBA) securities.\r \r ‘ADI securities’ includes securities issued by banks and other ADIs, but not equity investments in parent, controlled or associated entities.\r \r ‘Other securities’ includes asset-backed securities, other debt securities and equity securities, other than those issued by ADIs, but not equity investments in parent, controlled or associated entities.\r \r ‘Residential’ includes both owner-occupied and investment housing loans to Australian households, net of specific provisions for doubtful debts.\r \r ‘Personal’ includes revolving credit for a purpose other than housing, credit card liabilities, lease financing net of unearned revenue, and other personal term loans to Australian households net of specific provisions for doubtful debts.\r \r ‘Commercial’ includes loans to public non-financial corporations, private trading corporations, private unincorporated businesses, community service organisations, Australian, State, Territory and local governments, ADIs and other financial institutions, net of specific provisions for doubtful debts. Loans to ADIs and other financial institutions includes loans to the Reserve Bank and other central banks, banks, other ADIs, RFCs, central borrowing authorities, fund managers, stockbrokers, insurance brokers, securitisers, mortgage, fixed interest and equity unit trusts and other financial intermediaries.\r \r Selected Liabilities:\r \r ‘Borrowings from ADIs’ includes settlement account balances due to ADIs and both variable and fixed interest rate short-term loans from ADIs. A loan is reported as short-term if its residual term to maturity is one year or less.\r \r ‘Deposits’ includes retail transaction call deposit accounts held by households, all other transaction call deposit accounts held by entities other than households, deposits from resident banks, resident non-bank financial institutions and intermediaries such as merchant banks, vostro balances from banks and non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs), the Australian-dollar equivalent of foreign currency deposits, deposits from controlled and associated entities, retail non-transaction call deposit accounts held by households, all other non-transaction deposit call accounts held by entities other than households, term deposits, certificates of deposit and other forms of deposits.\r \r ‘Other’ liabilities includes settlement account balances due to RFCs and other financial institutions, securities sold under agreements to repurchase, promissory notes or commercial paper with a residual term to maturity of one year or less, other debt securities with a residual term of one year or less, variable interest rate short-term loans from counterparties other than ADIs, fixed interest rate short-term loans from counterparties other than ADIs, debt securities with a residual term to maturity of more than one year, variable and fixed interest rate loans and borrowings from Australian residents with a residual term to maturity of more than one year, interest accrued but not yet paid, interest received but not yet earned, unrealised losses on trading derivatives, items in suspense and other liabilities not separately identified above. A loan is reported as short-term if its residual term to maturity is one year or less. ‘Other’ liabilities do not include amounts due to clearing houses.\r

Central Bank Balance Sheet in Australia increased to 429062 AUD Million in March 19 from 425848 AUD Million in the previous week. This dataset provides - Australia Central Bank Balance Sheet - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Reserve Bank of Australia: Liabilities: Deposits: Overseas Institutions data was reported at 2,076.000 AUD mn in 12 Mar 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2,151.000 AUD mn for 05 Mar 2025. Reserve Bank of Australia: Liabilities: Deposits: Overseas Institutions data is updated weekly, averaging 972.000 AUD mn from Jun 1994 (Median) to 12 Mar 2025, with 1607 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 44,452.000 AUD mn in 05 Nov 2008 and a record low of 30.000 AUD mn in 16 Apr 1997. Reserve Bank of Australia: Liabilities: Deposits: Overseas Institutions data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Reserve Bank of Australia. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.KB043: Balance Sheet: Reserve Bank of Australia: Central Bank. The data is provided on a lagged basis up to 4 months.

Reserve Bank of Australia: Liabilities: Deposits: Australian Government data was reported at 87,607.000 AUD mn in 12 Mar 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 90,615.000 AUD mn for 05 Mar 2025. Reserve Bank of Australia: Liabilities: Deposits: Australian Government data is updated weekly, averaging 20,484.000 AUD mn from Jun 1994 (Median) to 12 Mar 2025, with 1607 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 108,533.000 AUD mn in 30 Sep 2020 and a record low of -457.000 AUD mn in 18 Jan 1995. Reserve Bank of Australia: Liabilities: Deposits: Australian Government data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Reserve Bank of Australia. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.KB043: Balance Sheet: Reserve Bank of Australia: Central Bank. The data is provided on a lagged basis up to 4 months.

Reserve Bank of Australia: Liabilities: Other Liabilities data was reported at 16,192.000 AUD mn in 12 Mar 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 13,330.000 AUD mn for 05 Mar 2025. Reserve Bank of Australia: Liabilities: Other Liabilities data is updated weekly, averaging 10,514.000 AUD mn from Jun 1994 (Median) to 12 Mar 2025, with 1607 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 35,102.000 AUD mn in 03 Dec 2008 and a record low of 1,361.000 AUD mn in 19 Dec 2018. Reserve Bank of Australia: Liabilities: Other Liabilities data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Reserve Bank of Australia. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.KB043: Balance Sheet: Reserve Bank of Australia: Central Bank.

Reserve Bank of Australia: Assets or Liabilities data was reported at 423,196.000 AUD mn in 05 Mar 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 420,483.000 AUD mn for 26 Feb 2025. Reserve Bank of Australia: Assets or Liabilities data is updated weekly, averaging 91,347.000 AUD mn from Jun 1994 (Median) to 05 Mar 2025, with 1606 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 647,450.000 AUD mn in 02 Mar 2022 and a record low of 30,418.000 AUD mn in 07 Dec 1994. Reserve Bank of Australia: Assets or Liabilities data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Reserve Bank of Australia. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.KB043: Balance Sheet: Reserve Bank of Australia: Central Bank.

In March 2003, banks and selected Registered Financial Corporations (RFCs) began reporting their international assets, liabilities and country exposures to APRA in ARF/RRF 231 International …Show full descriptionIn March 2003, banks and selected Registered Financial Corporations (RFCs) began reporting their international assets, liabilities and country exposures to APRA in ARF/RRF 231 International Exposures. This return is the basis of the data provided by Australia to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) for its International Banking Statistics (IBS) data collection. APRA ceased the RFC data collection after September 2010. The IBS data are based on the methodology described in the BIS Guide on International Financial Statistics (see http://www.bis.org/statistics/intfinstatsguide.pdf; Part II International banking statistics). Data reported for Australia, and other countries, on the BIS website are expressed in United States dollars. Data are recorded on an end-quarter basis. There are two sets of IBS data: locational data, which are used to gauge the role of banks and financial centres in the intermediation of international capital flows; and consolidated data, which can be used to monitor the country risk exposure of national banking systems. Only locational data are reported in this statistical table. Data are shown for a range of countries and regions. Similar data for a selected group of countries are also available in B12.2. Country and regional groupings are based on the classification used in the IBS. Some liabilities are reported at market value, but contractual or nominal values are used where market values are not appropriate. This statistical table contains seven data worksheets. Six present data for countries within each specified region, while the 'Summary' worksheet shows total international liabilities of Australian-located banks (and RFCs between March 2003 and September 2010) for each region, and Australia. In each of these worksheets, the data in the last column measures total international liabilities for the region. Total international liabilities for each country add to total international liabilities for the region. However, in some quarters, this cannot be directly verified because data for individual countries and regions have blank entries in order to avoid disclosing confidential bank exposures. In the 'Summary' worksheet, the positions by region are summed to produce a ‘Total non-residents’ figure that represents reporting entities’ total positions with offshore counterparties in all currencies. The positions shown for 'Australia' are positions with residents in foreign currency.

The interest rate of bank accepted bills/negotiable certificates of deposit for Australian banks has fallen slightly over the last decade. From a peak of around five percent from late 2010 to late 2011, interest rates on three and six month bills/certificates had fallen to 0.01 and 0.03 percent respectively as of September 2021 . Notably, these rates were below the the official Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) target cash rate of 0.1 percent. Primarily, the reason for this is that the RBA was more concerned with ensuring banks have liquidity than intervening so that the cash rate is consistent with its target rate, and to this end RBA used new methods to inject funds into banks since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As of May 2024, the interest rates on three and six month bills/certificates increased to 4.36 and 4.61 percent, respectively.

Monetary policy changes are expressed in terms of a target for the cash rate – the interest rate paid or received on unsecured overnight funds in the interbank market. Commencing February 2008, the announcement is made on the day of the Reserve Bank Board meeting, effective the following day. Prior to this time, the announcement and effective dates were the same.

Credit unions became authorised deposit-taking institutions (ADIs) under the Banking Act 1959 on 1 July 1999 when responsibility for their prudential regulation shifted from the States and Territories to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). Since 1 July 1999, credit unions have submitted monthly returns to APRA; prior to that date, they submitted returns to the Reserve Bank under the Financial Corporations Act 1974. In September 2001, APRA implemented new reporting forms for credit unions. From October 2001, data are derived from ARF 323.0: Statement of Financial Position (Licensed ADI). Since December 1999, series have only included data for credit unions with total assets greater than or equal to $50 million.

Selected assets:

‘Cash and liquid assets’ is composed of ‘Cash’, ‘Balances with ADIs’ and ‘Other’. None of these items include bills of exchange, bills receivable, remittances in transit or certificates of deposit.

‘Cash’ includes Australian and foreign currency notes and coins, gold coin, gold bullion, and gold certificates held as investments. It excludes loans repayable in gold bullion.

‘Balances with ADIs’ includes deposits at call with Australian resident banks and other ADIs and settlement account balances due from banks and other ADIs, incorporating receivables for unsettled sales of securities.

‘Other’ includes deposits at call with Registered Financial Corporations (RFCs) and other financial institutions, net claims on recognised clearing houses in Australia, securities purchased under agreements to resell, funds held with the Reserve Bank and other central banks, and settlement account balances due from the Reserve Bank, other central banks, RFCs and other financial institutions, incorporating receivables for unsettled sales of securities.

‘Government securities’, ‘ADI securities’, ‘Corporate paper’ and ‘Other securities’ include both trading and investment securities. Trading securities are recorded at net fair value. Investment securities are recorded at cost and adjusted for the amortisation of any premiums and discounts on purchase over the period of maturity.

‘Government securities’ include securities issued by the Australian, State, Territory and local governments and State and Territory central borrowing authority (CBA) securities.

‘ADI securities’ includes securities issued by banks and other ADIs, but not equity investments in parent, controlled or associated entities.

‘Other securities’ includes asset-backed securities, other debt securities and equity securities, other than those issued by ADIs, but not equity investments in parent, controlled or associated entities.

‘Residential’ includes both owner-occupied and investment housing loans to Australian households, net of specific provisions for doubtful debts.

‘Personal’ includes revolving credit for a purpose other than housing, credit card liabilities, lease financing net of unearned revenue, and other personal term loans to Australian households net of specific provisions for doubtful debts.

‘Commercial’ includes loans to public non-financial corporations, private trading corporations, private unincorporated businesses, community service organisations, Australian, State, Territory and local governments, ADIs and other financial institutions, net of specific provisions for doubtful debts. Loans to ADIs and other financial institutions includes loans to the Reserve Bank and other central banks, banks, other ADIs, RFCs, central borrowing authorities, fund managers, stockbrokers, insurance brokers, securitisers, mortgage, fixed interest and equity unit trusts and other financial intermediaries.

Selected Liabilities:

‘Borrowings from ADIs’ includes settlement account balances due to ADIs and both variable and fixed interest rate short-term loans from ADIs. A loan is reported as short-term if its residual term to maturity is one year or less.

‘Deposits’ includes retail transaction call deposit accounts held by households, all other transaction call deposit accounts held by entities other than households, deposits from resident banks, resident non-bank financial institutions and intermediaries such as merchant banks, vostro balances from banks and non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs), the Australian-dollar equivalent of foreign currency deposits, deposits from controlled and associated entities, retail non-transaction call deposit accounts held by households, all other non-transaction deposit call accounts held by entities other than households, term deposits, certificates of deposit and other forms of deposits.

‘Other’ liabilities includes settlement account balances due to RFCs and other financial institutions, securities sold under agreements to repurchase, promissory notes or commercial paper with a residual term to maturity of one year or less, other debt securities with a residual term of one year or less, variable interest rate short-term loans from counterparties other than ADIs, fixed interest rate short-term loans from counterparties other than ADIs, debt securities with a residual term to maturity of more than one year, variable and fixed interest rate loans and borrowings from Australian residents with a residual term to maturity of more than one year, interest accrued but not yet paid, interest received but not yet earned, unrealised losses on trading derivatives, items in suspense and other liabilities not separately identified above. A loan is reported as short-term if its residual term to maturity is one year or less. ‘Other’ liabilities do not include amounts due to clearing houses.

The historical data in this table are sourced from Becker C and M Sinclair (2004), :Profitability of Reserve Bank Foreign Exchange Operations: Twenty Years After the Float-C/, RB Research Discussion …Show full descriptionThe historical data in this table are sourced from Becker C and M Sinclair (2004), :Profitability of Reserve Bank Foreign Exchange Operations: Twenty Years After the Float-C/, RB Research Discussion Paper No 2004-06. Updates to the data are published annually with a one-year lag. It is not appropriate to use the :Market-C/ series as a proxy for foreign exchange market intervention. The RB engages in spot or forward transactions with dealers in the market virtually every day. Most of these transactions are not intended to influence the exchange rate. Rather, they occur to cover orders for foreign exchange from clients such as the Australian Government. When the RB sells foreign exchange to a client, it has the choice of meeting this out of its holdings of foreign exchange or buying the equivalent amount of foreign exchange in the market. Most of the time it does the latter, though even then the timing of the sale and purchase may not coincide precisely. The RB can also engage in foreign exchange transactions with counterparties other than dealers as a means of covering client orders. Daily net foreign exchange transactions, net sales (-) and purchases (+), are reported according to the date on which the trade took place. This is in contrast to the monthly transactions data in Table A.4, which are reported according to the day on which settlement took place. Another difference to Table A.4 is that interest received on holdings of foreign assets is not included. aMarketa transactions are foreign exchange transactions against the Australian dollar (excluding foreign exchange swaps) undertaken by the RB with authorised foreign exchange dealers in Australia or banks overseas. aGovernment and other counterpartiesa transactions include the RBAas foreign exchange transactions with the Australian Government, outright transactions with other central banks and international financial institutions that are not intended to affect the exchange rate, and transactions with clients other than the Australian Government.

These data are derived from returns submitted to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) by banks authorised under the Banking Act 1959. APRA assumed responsibility for the supervision and regulation of banks on 1 July 1998. Data prior to that date were submitted to the RBA.

Prior to March 2002, banks reported quarterly to APRA on the Off-balance Sheet Business Return. From that date until the end of 2007, banks reported quarterly on ARF 112.2: Capital Adequacy – Off-balance Sheet Business. Following the introduction of a new capital framework (Basel II) on 1 January 2008, the data between March 2008 and March 2011 were reported on either ARF 112.2: Capital Adequacy – Off-balance Sheet Business, ARF 112.2A: Standardised Credit Risk – Off-balance Sheet Exposures, or ARF 118.0: Off-balance Sheet Business, depending on whether the bank had been approved by APRA to use a Basel II advanced approach to credit risk. Following the revocation of Australian Prudential Standard APS150 on 30 June 2011, banks using the advanced approach to credit risk have been required to report data with reference to the Basel II framework. From June 2011, data are reported on ARF 112.2A: Standardised Credit Risk – Off-balance Sheet Exposures, ARF 118.0: Off-balance Sheet Business, or ARF 118.1: Other Off-balance Sheet Exposures, depending on whether the bank has been approved by APRA to use a Basel II advanced approach to credit risk.

‘Consolidated group’, for a locally incorporated bank, refers to the global operations of the bank and its subsidiaries, excluding those involved in insurance, funds management/trustee and non-financial business. For a foreign bank authorised to operate in Australia as a branch, the data relate to the operations of the branch only. Figures are as at the last business day of the quarter and refer to the principal amount (face value) of the transaction.

From March 2002, banks are required to report separately activity in the banking and trading books for interest rate contracts, foreign exchange contracts, and other derivative contracts. Banking and trading book figures are added to produce the data reported in the table. Before March 2002, exposures were netted across the banking and trading books (except credit derivatives). This has necessitated a break in the series.

‘Direct credit substitutes’ covers any irrevocable obligations that carry the same credit risk as a direct extension of credit. This includes the issue of guarantees, confirmation of letters of credit, standby letters of credit serving as financial guarantees for loans, securities and any other financial liabilities, and certain bills endorsed under bill endorsement lines. ‘Direct credit substitutes’ does not include credit derivatives, which are shown separately.

‘Trade- and performance-related items’ covers contingent liabilities arising from trade-related obligations secured against an underlying shipment of goods and any irrevocable obligations to make a payment to a third party if a counterparty fails to perform a contractual non-monetary obligation. This includes documentary letters of credit issued, acceptances on trade bills, shipping guarantees issued, issue of performance bonds, bid bonds, warranties, indemnities, standby letters of credit in relation to a non-monetary obligation of a counterparty under a particular transaction, and any other trade- and performance-related items.

‘Commitments and other non-market-related items’ includes lending of securities or posting of securities as collateral, assets sold with recourse, forward asset purchases, partly paid shares and securities, placements of forward deposits, underwriting facilities, standby lines of credit, redraw facilities, undrawn credit card facilities, and all other non-market-related off-balance sheet items.

‘Interest rate contracts – OTC forwards’ covers single currency over-the-counter interest rate forwards including forward rate agreements.

‘Interest rate contracts – OTC swaps’ covers single currency over-the-counter interest rate swaps.

‘Interest rate contracts – Other’ covers other single currency over-the-counter and exchange-traded interest rate contracts including interest rate options written and purchased.

‘Foreign exchange contracts – OTC forwards’ covers over-the-counter foreign exchange forwards including foreign exchange forward contracts involving gold.

‘Foreign exchange contracts – OTC swaps’ covers over-the-counter foreign exchange swaps including cross currency interest rate swaps and foreign exchange swap contracts involving gold.

‘Foreign exchange contracts – Other’ covers other over-the-counter and exchange-traded foreign exchange contracts including other foreign exchange contracts involving gold.

‘Credit derivatives’ covers all credit derivatives contracts, both where protection is purchased and protection is sold. Banks were required to report credit derivatives exposure to APRA from June 2000 following a change to the Off-balance Sheet Business Return. This has necessitated a break in the series.

‘Other off-balance sheet business’ covers equity contracts including written and purchased options positions, derivatives based on gold and precious metals, base metals, energy and other commodities, and all other derivative activity.