France Household Spending Tops Forecasts in May

Household consumption of goods in France grew by 0.5% month-on-month in May 2026, exceeding market estimates of 0.2% and recovering from a 0.5% fall in the previous month. Energy expenditures rebounded (2.3% vs -3.2% in April), driven by the sharp rebound in gas and electricity consumption following a particularly hot April. Meanwhile, spending on engineered goods eased markedly to 0.1% from 0.4% in April, while food consumption remained stable after declining 0.2% in April. Spending on durable goods rebounded (0.7% vs -0.4%), while purchases of textile and clothing products partially reversed (-0.3% vs 1.5%), as did spending on other engineered goods (-0.6% vs 1.2%). On an annual basis, household consumption rose 0.3% in May.

Household consumption of goods in France declined by 0.5% month-on-month in April 2026, exceeding market estimates for just a 0.1% fall and reversing a 0.9% increase in the previous month. Energy expenditures (-2.9% vs 0.5% in March) fell sharply amid lower purchases of petroleum products as fuel prices increased and weaker gas and electricity consumption during one of the warmest Aprils on record in France. Consumption of engineered goods also slowed markedly to 0.2% from 1.7% in March. Spending on durable goods fell slightly (-0.5% vs 2.8%), while spending on textiles and clothing continued to rise (1.3% vs 1.2%), alongside other engineered goods (0.7% vs 0.2%). Food consumption was broadly stable (-0.1% vs 0.1%), while tobacco consumption edged higher. On an annual basis, household consumption of goods declined 0.4% in April, following a downwardly revised 0.4% gain in March.

Household consumption of goods in France rose 0.7% month-on-month in March 2026, matching market forecasts and rebounding from a 1.4% decline in February. This was the biggest monthly gain since February 2025, driven by a renewed increase in purchases of engineered goods (1.6% vs -2.1% in February), particularly durables (2.9% vs -2.3%) and textiles and clothing (1.1% vs -4.4%). Energy expenditures edged up 0.1% after falling 1.4% in the prior month, as electricity consumption rose slightly, while diesel usage dropped again. Food consumption decreased at a slower pace (-0.1% vs -0.6%), as higher spending on tobacco and beverages partly offset continued declines in purchases of agricultural products and processed fruits and vegetables. Yearly, household spending increased 0.5%, following an upwardly revised 1.6% drop in February. For the first quarter of 2026, consumption fell 0.6%, reversing a 0.4% rise in the previous quarter, mainly due to lower energy spending (-2.3% vs 0.5% in Q4).