Australia Personal Spending Holds Steady

Household spending in Australia rose 0.3% month-on-month in February 2026, matching January’s pace and marking a second straight month of growth. Spending increased for food (1.0% vs 0.1% in January), clothing and footwear (0.1% vs 0.2%), health (0.2% vs 1.7%), recreation and culture (1.1% vs 0.0%), and hotels, cafes and restaurants (0.4% vs -0.7%). In contrast, expenditures declined in alcoholic drinks and tobacco (-0.5% vs -1.8%), furnishings and household equipment (-0.3% vs -0.7%), transport (-0.4% vs 0.2%), and miscellaneous goods and services (-0.3% vs 2.4%). Regionally, spending rose in Queensland (0.5%), Victoria (0.4%), South Australia (0.6%), Western Australia (0.9%), Northern Territory (3.4%), and the Australian Capital Territory (0.2%), while Tasmania (-0.3%) recorded a decline. On an annual basis, household spending increased 4.6%, little changed from January's 4.5%, which had marked the softest growth since May 2025.

Household spending in Australia rose 0.3% month-on-month in January 2026, rebounding from an upwardly revised 0.5% decline in December. Expenditures increased the most for miscellaneous goods and services (2.5%), health (1.7%), and transport (0.3%). Smaller gains were also recorded for clothing and footwear (0.3%) and food (0.1%). In contrast, spending declined for alcoholic beverages and tobacco (-1.7%), furnishings and household equipment (-0.7%), and hotels, cafes and restaurants (-0.6%). Regionally, spending grew in Tasmania (0.6%), New South Wales (0.5%), Victoria (0.5%), Queensland (0.1%), and Western Australia (0.3%), but declined in South Australia (-0.1%), the Northern Territory (-2.3%), and the Australian Capital Territory (-0.1%). On a yearly basis, household spending increased 4.6%, the slowest pace since late May, following a 5.0% rise in December.

Household spending in Australia dropped 0.4% mom in December 2025, reversing a 1.0% growth in the previous month and missing market estimates of a 0.2% increase. The latest result marked the first monthly contraction since March 2024, reflecting the impact of cost pressures and elevated interest rates. Expenditures fell for food (-0.4% vs 0.6% in November), clothing (-2.4% vs 2.5%), furnishings (-1.7% vs 2.4%), health (-1.3% vs 0.4%), recreation (-0.5% vs 2.0%), and miscellaneous items (-0.9% vs 0.2%). In contrast, spending rose for alcoholic drinks (2.0% vs -1.8%), transport (0.6% vs 0.6%), and hotels & restaurants (0.5% vs 1.2%). Regionally, spending shrank in New South Wales (-0.6%), Victoria (-1.0%), Western Australia (-0.3%), but increased in Queensland (0.2%), South Australia (0.3%), the Northern Territory (2.9%), and Tasmania (0.1%). On an annual basis, household spending grew 5.0%, the softest in four months, after a 6.0% gain in November.