Australia Personal Spending Growth at 2-1/2-Year High

2026-05-05 01:50 By Farida Husna 1 min. read

Household spending in Australia rose 1.6% mom in March 2026, picking up from 0.3% in the prior month.

This marked the third straight monthly increase and the strongest growth since September 2023.

Spending accelerated for food (1.7% vs 1.2% in February), clothing (1.3% vs 0.2%), health (0.3% vs 0.2%), and recreation (1.3% vs 1.1%).

Outlays also rebounded for transport (5.1% vs -0.3%), furnishings and household equipment (1.6% vs -0.5%), and miscellaneous goods and services (1.7% vs -0.3%).

In contrast, spending fell for alcoholic drinks and tobacco (-0.1% vs -0.5%) and for hotels, cafes, and restaurants (-0.9% vs 0.4%).

Regionally, spending grew across all states and territories, including New South Wales (1.7%), Victoria (1.2%), Queensland (1.9%), South Australia (1.7%), Western Australia (1.6%), Tasmania (2.0%), and Northern Territory (0.1%).

On an annual basis, household spending increased 6.3%, faster than a 4.7% gain in February and marking the fastest pace since September 2023.



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Australia Personal Spending Growth at 2-1/2-Year High
Household spending in Australia rose 1.6% mom in March 2026, picking up from 0.3% in the prior month. This marked the third straight monthly increase and the strongest growth since September 2023. Spending accelerated for food (1.7% vs 1.2% in February), clothing (1.3% vs 0.2%), health (0.3% vs 0.2%), and recreation (1.3% vs 1.1%). Outlays also rebounded for transport (5.1% vs -0.3%), furnishings and household equipment (1.6% vs -0.5%), and miscellaneous goods and services (1.7% vs -0.3%). In contrast, spending fell for alcoholic drinks and tobacco (-0.1% vs -0.5%) and for hotels, cafes, and restaurants (-0.9% vs 0.4%). Regionally, spending grew across all states and territories, including New South Wales (1.7%), Victoria (1.2%), Queensland (1.9%), South Australia (1.7%), Western Australia (1.6%), Tasmania (2.0%), and Northern Territory (0.1%). On an annual basis, household spending increased 6.3%, faster than a 4.7% gain in February and marking the fastest pace since September 2023.
2026-05-05
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.
2026-04-07
Australia Personal Spending Rebounds in January
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.
2026-03-05