Australia Household Spending Rises More than Estimated

Household spending in Australia rose 1.1% month-on-month in July 2026, following an upwardly revised 1.0% increase in June and marking the third straight monthly gain. The result far exceeded market expectations of a 0.4% rise, with spending growing for all components, including food (1.0% vs 0.3% in June), alcohol and tobacco (0.9% vs 1.3%), clothing (1.6% vs -0.6%), furnishings (0.4% vs 0.6%), health (1.2% vs 0.6%), transport (0.6% vs 3.4%), recreation (1.5% vs 1.6), hotels, cafes, and restaurants (1.1% vs 0.1%), and miscellaneous goods and services (1.3% vs -0.5%). Regionally, all states and territories recorded gains: New South Wales (0.7%), Victoria (1.3%), Queensland (1.1%), South Australia (0.7%), Western Australia (1.5%), Tasmania (1.2%), the Northern Territory (2.2%), and the Australian Capital Territory (1.2%). On an annual basis, household spending climbed 7.0%, up from 6.1% in June, pointing to the fastest pace since June 2023.

Household spending in Australia rose 0.8% month-on-month in June 2026, easing from a marginally revised 1.2% gain in the previous month and marking the weakest pace since February. Still, the latest figure exceeded market expectations of 0.2%. Spending growth slowed for food (0.3% vs 1.1% in May) and furnishings (0.6% vs 0.8%), while declines were seen in clothing and footwear (-0.7% vs 2.4%), hotels, cafes, and restaurants (-0.1% vs 1.8%), and miscellaneous goods and services (-0.6% vs 2.2%). By contrast, spending accelerated in alcohol and tobacco (1.0%), health (0.3%), transport (3.0%), and recreation (1.4%). Regionally, all states and territories recorded gains: New South Wales (1.0%), Victoria (0.6%), Queensland (0.4%), South Australia (0.5%), Western Australia (1.3%), Tasmania (1.6%), the Northern Territory (0.2%), and the Australian Capital Territory (1.4%). On an annual basis, household spending climbed 6.0%, up from 5.5% in May, pointing to the fastest pace in three months.

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%.