---
title: "The Economic: In February, Westpac's leading indicator in Australia rose by 0.08%, expecting Australia's GDP growth to slow to 2% this year"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/279520740.md"
description: "Westpac announced that in February, the Westpac Leading Index rose by 0.08%, indicating a potential slowdown in economic activity. It is expected that Australia's GDP growth will decline to 2% this year, down from 2.5% last year. The bank pointed out that economic growth momentum remained above average at the beginning of the year, but due to interest rate hikes and the situation in the Middle East, it will slow down in the coming months. More clear data will be available from March to April"
datetime: "2026-03-18T02:05:00.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/279520740.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/279520740.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/279520740.md)
generator: "portal-rs"
---

# The Economic: In February, Westpac's leading indicator in Australia rose by 0.08%, expecting Australia's GDP growth to slow to 2% this year

Australia's Westpac announced that the Westpac Leading Index for February rose by 0.08% on a six-month annualized growth rate, remaining roughly flat month-on-month, but the upward trend has slowed compared to the end of last year. This index reflects the potential growth rate of economic activity over the next three to nine months.

The bank stated that economic growth momentum has remained above average at the beginning of this year, but is expected to slow in the coming months due to the impact of recent interest rate hikes by the Reserve Bank of Australia and the gradual manifestation of the effects of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The bank expects Australia's GDP growth to slow to 2% this year, down from last year's 2.5% increase, and also below the trend. The bank anticipates clearer data will emerge between March and April

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> **Disclaimer: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.**