US Consumer Spending Eases Less Than Expected
2026-08-26 12:44
By
Larissa Caser
1 min. read
US personal spending increased by $36.3 billion, or 0.2%, in July 2026 from the previous month, slowing from a 0.3% gain in June but exceeding expectations for a 0.1% increase, as an increase in services spending was partially offset by a decline in spending of most goods.
Goods spending decreased $49.9 billion, driven by a lower spending on gasoline and other energy goods (down $14 billion), recreational goods and vehicles (down $13.6 billion), motor vehicles and parts (down $9.4 billion) and furnishings and durable household equipment (down $3.8 billion).
Meanwhile, spending in overall services increased $86.2 billion, driven by higher spending on financial services and insurance (up $24.3 billion), health care (up $23.2 billion) and housing and utilities (up $16.4 billion).
Meanwhile, inflation-adjusted consumer spending was broadly flat in July, following a 0.4% increase in the prior month.