France Household Consumption Falls More than Expected

Household consumption of goods in France dropped 1.4% month-on-month in February 2026, worse than market expectations of a 0.2% fall, following a downwardly revised 0.4% rise in January. This marked the biggest monthly fall since April 2024. Energy expenditures declined further (-2.4% vs -1.2% in January) as gas and electricity consumption plunged amid warmer weather. Spending on engineered goods fell again (-1.7% vs 1.1%), with decreases across all components, namely durable goods (-1.8% vs 0.8%), other engineered goods (-0.1% vs 0.2%), and textiles and clothing (-4.0% vs 3.6%). Food consumption also dropped (-0.5% vs 0.4%) due to lower purchases of agri-food products, particularly beverages and tobacco. On an annual basis, household spending fell 1.5% in February, after a downwardly revised 0.3% gain in the previous month.

Household consumption of goods in France rose 0.5% month-on-month in January 2026, more than market expectations of a 0.3% increase and following a downwardly revised 0.5% drop in the previous month. Spending on engineered goods rebounded (1.0% vs -0.8% in December), driven by increased purchases of durable goods (0.9% vs -0.9%), clothing and textiles (2.1% vs -1.8%), and other engineered goods (0.4% vs -0.1%). Food consumption also recovered (0.6% vs -0.5%), supported by spending on both unprocessed agricultural products and agri-food products. Meanwhile, energy expenditures fell 0.8%, reversing a 0.3% rise in December, due to a sharp decline in the consumption of unleaded petrol and diesel. On an annual basis, household spending rose by 0.4% in January, after a downwardly revised 0.8% fall in December.

Household consumption of goods in France dropped 0.6% month-on-month in December 2025, following a 0.3% decrease in November and exceeding expectations of a 0.4% fall. The decline was driven by a sharp pullback in engineered goods consumption (-1.0% vs +0.5% in November), as spending on durable goods (-1.2%) and textile-clothing (-2.1%) contracted notably, while other engineered goods were flat. Food consumption also continued to fall (-0.9% vs -0.1%), reflecting lower purchases of seasonal food items, particularly festive products, although tobacco consumption increased. By contrast, energy consumption rebounded (+0.8% vs -2.0%), supported by higher petrol and diesel use amid low fuel prices, even as gas and electricity demand declined due to unusually mild temperatures. On an annual basis, household consumption fell 1.0%, while it rose 0.4% on a quarterly basis compared with the previous period.