US Real Consumer Spending Edges Down to 0.2%

2026-04-30 12:57 By Czyrill Jean Coloma 1 min. read

Inflation-adjusted US personal spending edged down to 0.2% month-over-month in March 2026, from an upwardly revised 0.3% in the previous month, as consumers showed signs of more cautious demand.

Goods spending held at 0.6%, but the underlying picture weakened.

Spending eased sharply for motor vehicles and parts (2.4% vs 6.8% in February), while it declined for gasoline and other energy goods (-1.4% vs 0.2%) and clothing and footwear (-0.5% vs 1.1%).

Services spending remained subdued at 0.1%, weighed down by housing and utilities (-0.3% vs 0%), healthcare (0.2% vs 0.3%), and transportation services (-0.5% vs 1.6%).

Meanwhile, spending rebounded for recreation services (0.4% vs -0.5%) and slightly rose for financial services and insurance (0.4% vs 0.2%).



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US Real Consumer Spending Edges Down to 0.2%
Inflation-adjusted US personal spending edged down to 0.2% month-over-month in March 2026, from an upwardly revised 0.3% in the previous month, as consumers showed signs of more cautious demand. Goods spending held at 0.6%, but the underlying picture weakened. Spending eased sharply for motor vehicles and parts (2.4% vs 6.8% in February), while it declined for gasoline and other energy goods (-1.4% vs 0.2%) and clothing and footwear (-0.5% vs 1.1%). Services spending remained subdued at 0.1%, weighed down by housing and utilities (-0.3% vs 0%), healthcare (0.2% vs 0.3%), and transportation services (-0.5% vs 1.6%). Meanwhile, spending rebounded for recreation services (0.4% vs -0.5%) and slightly rose for financial services and insurance (0.4% vs 0.2%).
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Inflation-adjusted US personal spending inched up 0.1% month-over-month in February 2026, following no growth in January, signaling continued caution among households amid high inflation. Goods spending partially recovered, rising 0.2% after January’s 0.7% decline, driven by a 4.3% rebound in motor vehicle and parts purchases (vs. -4.2% in January). However, other durable goods remained weak, and non-durable goods spending fell for the third consecutive month (-0.2%), weighed down by declines in off-premises food and beverages (-0.8%) and gasoline and energy goods (-0.3%). Services spending also slowed to 0.1% from 0.3%, with softer demand for housing and utilities, healthcare, recreation, and financial services.
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