Household spending fell 0.1 per cent in September, according to seasonally adjusted figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
This follows a 0.2 per cent rise in August and a flat result in July.
From this month’s release, the spending indicator includes seasonally adjusted estimates for each of the nine spending categories tracked by the ABS.
Robert Ewing, ABS head of business statistics, said: “Clothing and footwear was the largest factor in the monthly fall, with spending down 1.8 per cent in this category. This reversed the 1.8 per cent rise in August.
“A 0.6 per cent fall in spending on Transport also drove the overall decline, as fuel prices fell and households spent less on new vehicle purchases.
“Rises in non-discretionary categories such as Food and Health, which rose by 0.5 per cent and 0.6 per cent respectively, partly offset these falls.”
| Jul-2024 (%) | Aug-2024 (%) | Sep-2024 (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food | 0.3 | -0.1 | 0.5 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | -0.3 | -0.3 | -0.3 |
| Clothing and footwear | -1.9 | 1.8 | -1.8 |
| Furnishings and household equipment | -2.3 | 1.2 | 0.4 |
| Health | 1.5 | 0.1 | 0.6 |
| Transport | 1.6 | -1.8 | -0.6 |
| Recreation and culture | -0.6 | 0.7 | -0.4 |
| Hotels, cafes and restaurants | -0.7 | 1.6 | 0.3 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 0.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 |
| Total | 0.0 | 0.2 | -0.1 |
Household spending rose in most states and territories compared to the same time last year in calendar adjusted terms.
The largest percentage rises were seen in Western Australia (+6.0 per cent), Queensland (+3.4 per cent) and the Northern Territory (+3.2 per cent), while Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory fell 1.3 and 0.1 per cent respectively.
| Jul-2024 (%) | Aug-2024 (%) | Sep-2024 (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 0.4 | 1.7 | 1.3 |
| Vic. | 1.4 | 0.7 | -1.3 |
| Qld | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.4 |
| SA | 2.1 | 2.7 | 2.9 |
| WA | 7.2 | 5.0 | 6.0 |
| Tas. | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.6 |
| NT | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
| ACT | 2.7 | 1.7 | -0.1 |
Today’s release also includes quarterly household spending volumes, which are adjusted for inflation.
In the latest quarter, household spending volumes were 0.4 per cent lower than the same time last year in original terms.
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco (-16.6 per cent) and Clothing and footwear (-2.7 per cent) had the largest annual falls, while Furnishings and household equipment rose 5.7 per cent.
