Australia Personal Spending Rebounds in May

Household spending in Australia rose 1.3% month-over-month in May 2026, rebounding from a 1.1% decline in April. Spending increased across eight of the nine major consumption categories, with the strongest recovery recorded in clothing and footwear (2.7% vs -2.2% in April), followed by miscellaneous goods and services (2.2% vs -0.7%), transport (1.4% vs -4.7%), food (1.1% vs -1.1%), and recreation and culture (0.8% vs -0.2%). Meanwhile, spending continued to rise for hotels, cafes and restaurants (1.9% vs 0.9%), alcoholic beverages and tobacco (1.0% vs 0.4%), and furnishings and household equipment (0.8% vs 0.0%). Regionally, household spending rose in Western Australia (2.6%), the Northern Territory (2.1%), Victoria (1.7%), South Australia (1.6%), Queensland (1.1%), New South Wales (0.7%), and the Australian Capital Territory (0.6%). In contrast, Tasmania was the only jurisdiction to record a decline, with spending falling 0.5%. On an annual basis, household spending increased 5.5%.

Household spending in Australia dropped 1.1% mom in April 2026, reversing a 1.6% rise in the previous month and marking the first contraction since December. Spending decreased for food (-1.3% vs 1.7% in March), clothing (-2.2% vs 0.9%), furnishings and household equipment (-0.1% vs 1.5%), transport (-4.7% vs 5.4%), recreation (-0.2% vs 1.2%), and miscellaneous goods and services (-1.0% vs 1.4%). In contrast, outlays rose for alcoholic drinks and tobacco (0.3% vs -0.4%), health (0.5% vs 0.4% ), and hotels, cafes, and restaurants (0.5% vs -0.9%). Regionally, spending declined in New South Wales (-0.8%), Victoria (-1.5%), Queensland (-1.0%), South Australia (-1.2%), and Western Australia (-1.9%). In contrast, spending rose in Tasmania (0.3%) and the Northern Territory (0.4%), while remaining unchanged in the Australian Capital Territory. On an annual basis, household spending increased 4.9%, easing from a 6.2% gain in March, which had marked the fastest growth pace since September 2023.

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.