A record-breaking $97.9 billion of dividends made their way to those invested in ASX shares over the 12 months ended 31 March.
That's 5.3% more than the market's previous ASX 12-month record, according to research by Janus Henderson Group (ASX: JHG).
Perhaps unsurprisingly, of the top 20 ASX dividend payers of the period, 19 are S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) constituents. Additionally, mining shares are overrepresented when it comes to ASX dividend payouts.
Here are the stocks proven to be Australia's biggest dividend payers.
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Here are the ASX's top dividend-paying shares
ASX shareholders, rejoice! Australia is one of the few nations to see dividend payments surpass pre-COVID-19 levels.
The global reopening and sky-high commodity prices boosted ASX dividends over the 12 months ended March. In fact, mining companies accounted for $1 in every $2 of dividends handed to investors over that period.
BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) has come in as the biggest dividend payer – handing shareholders $10.8 billion of dividends in the first quarter of 2022 alone.
Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) came in second despite dropping its interim dividend by 42% in February.
Luckily that drop was partially made up by a higher payout from Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO).
Outside of the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ), the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) dividend led the pack. It was lifted by 17% in February.
CBA's big bank peers Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC), National Bank of Australia Ltd (ASX: NAB), and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) followed. Others included:
- Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)
- Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)
- CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)
- Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG).
- Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW)
- Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)
- Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)
- James Hardie Industries (ASX: JHX)
- Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)
- Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL)
- Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) and
- Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WPL)
New Zealand's Meridian Energy Ltd (ASX: MEZ) was the only non-ASX 200 share to make the list. It rounded out the top 20 dividend shares of the 12 months ended March.
