Household spending was 3.1 per cent higher than a year ago, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Robert Ewing, ABS head of business statistics, said: “The rise in spending was driven by spending on essential goods and services.
“Non-discretionary spending rose 5.8 per cent compared to November last year, as spending on transport and health increased by 8.3 per cent and 7.8 per cent respectively.
“Meanwhile, Black Friday sales boosted discretionary spending in November, similar to the previous year, so that households spent 0.3 per cent more than November 2022 on discretionary goods and services.
“Spending on furnishings and household equipment was 1.7 per cent higher than the same time last year, while clothing and footwear fell 0.1 per cent.”
| Discretionary – Through the year change (%) | Non Discretionary – Through the year change (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Nov-21 | 9.6 | 9.7 |
| Dec-21 | 4.6 | 8.1 |
| Jan-22 | 5.5 | 8.7 |
| Feb-22 | 11.8 | 13.5 |
| Mar-22 | 10.1 | 12.3 |
| Apr-22 | 13.1 | 13.3 |
| May-22 | 12.3 | 14.8 |
| Jun-22 | 13.3 | 19.2 |
| Jul-22 | 21.8 | 26.5 |
| Aug-22 | 26.8 | 31.8 |
| Sep-22 | 26.7 | 31.7 |
| Oct-22 | 17.7 | 27.3 |
| Nov-22 | 7.4 | 21.5 |
| Dec-22 | 6.6 | 18.1 |
| Jan-23 | 10.1 | 20.7 |
| Feb-23 | 3.2 | 16.0 |
| Mar-23 | 1.2 | 14.0 |
| Apr-23 | 0 | 13.2 |
| May-23 | 0.7 | 11.7 |
| Jun-23 | 1.1 | 9.9 |
| Jul-23 | -0.7 | 8.4 |
| Aug-23 | 0.5 | 10.0 |
| Sep-23 | 0.2 | 9.1 |
| Oct-23 | -1.1 | 7.2 |
| Nov-23 | 0.3 | 5.8 |
Compared to the same time last year, household spending rose in all states and territories.
The Northern Territory had the largest rise in spending (+8.7 per cent), followed by South Australia (+5.2 per cent) and Western Australia (+4.6 per cent).
| Sep-2023 (%) | Oct-2023 (%) | Nov-2023 (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 4.5 | 2.9 | 2.2 |
| Vic. | 4.8 | 2.8 | 4.0 |
| Qld | 4.0 | 2.5 | 1.5 |
| SA | 6.4 | 4.5 | 5.2 |
| WA | 6.2 | 5.2 | 4.6 |
| Tas. | 5.0 | 3.3 | 1.2 |
| NT | 3.3 | 6.4 | 8.7 |
| ACT | 5.6 | 3.4 | 2.3 |
