Swedish Household Spending Eases in February

Household spending in Sweden edged up by 0.1% month-on-month in February 2026, easing from a downwardly revised 0.5% growth in the previous month. Spending slowed in housing, electricity, gas, and heating (0.3% vs 1.1% in January), clothing and footwear (0.4% vs 0.8%), furniture, and furnishings, household equipment, and consumables (0.9% vs 2.3%), while consumption was flat in transport, retail trade, and motor vehicle services (vs 5.9%). At the same time, spending declined in food and beverages (-0.4% vs 0.2%) and restaurants, cafes, hotels, and other accommodation services (-1.4% vs 1.6%). Meanwhile, consumption recovered in post and telecommunications (0.9% vs -3.8%) and recreation and culture (1.3% vs -3.8%). On a yearly basis, household consumption grew by 1.8% in February, following an upwardly revised 2.9% rise in the preceding period.

Household spending in Sweden increased 0.7% month-on-month in January 2026, recovering from a downwardly revised 3.3% fall in the previous month. The rebound was mainly driven by higher consumption of transport, retail trade, and motor vehicle services (5.4% vs -6.3% in December 2025), housing, electricity, gas & heating (0.6% vs -0.7%), and food and beverages (0.2% vs -1.1%). Spending also recovered in clothing and footwear (1.0% vs -4.1%), furniture, furnishings, household equipment, and consumables (2.9% vs -0.9%), restaurants, cafes, hotels, and other accommodation services (1.7% vs -0.6%), and other goods and services (2.3% vs -3.5%). Meanwhile, spending declined in post and telecommunications (-3.4% vs 0.9%) and recreation and culture (-0.4% vs -9.9%). On a yearly basis, household consumption rose by 2.8%, accelerating from an upwardly revised 1% increase in the previous month.

Household spending in Sweden fell 3.7% month-on-month in December 2025, reversing an upwardly revised 3.0% rise in November. The decline was mainly driven by lower consumption of transport and retail sales and servicing of motor vehicles (-6.3% vs -1.4% in November), recreation and culture goods and services (-6.1% vs 8.3%), housing, electricity, gas, and heating (-2.2% vs 1.1%), and food and beverages (-1.0% vs 0.7%). Household spending also declined for clothing and footwear (-3.7% vs 2.4%), as well as furniture, furnishings, household equipment, and consumables (-1.2% vs 1.1%). By contrast, household spending increased for post and telecommunications (0.7% vs 1.3%). On a yearly basis, household consumption rose 0.5%, easing sharply from an upwardly revised 4.6% increase in the previous month.