Household spending rose 0.8 per cent in October, according to seasonally adjusted figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
This follows a 0.2 per cent fall in September and a 0.3 per cent rise in August.
Robert Ewing, ABS head of business statistics, said: "Spending rose across all nine categories in October. This was led by Recreation and culture, with households snapping up tickets for several major international music concerts and sporting events in 2025.
"A 1.5 per cent rise in Services spending drove the overall increase, as households spent more on recreational and cultural services and air travel. In contrast, Goods spending growth was relatively subdued, rising only 0.2 per cent in October."
| Aug-2024 (%) | Sep-2024 (%) | Oct-2024 (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food | -0.2 | 0.4 | 0.1 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | -0.5 | -1.8 | 0.1 |
| Clothing and footwear | 1.7 | -1.9 | 1.1 |
| Furnishings and household equipment | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.3 |
| Health | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| Transport | -1.2 | -0.3 | 0.6 |
| Recreation and culture | 1.0 | -1.1 | 1.5 |
| Hotels, cafes and restaurants | 1.6 | 0.2 | 0.9 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.9 |
| Total | 0.3 | -0.2 | 0.8 |
Starting this month, the spending indicator includes seasonally adjusted estimates for each of the states and territories.
In seasonally adjusted terms, household spending rose in all states and territories for the month of October.
The highest percentage rises were seen in New South Wales (1.0 per cent), South Australia (1.0 per cent) and Tasmania (0.9 per cent), while Queensland (0.4 per cent) experienced the smallest rise.
| Aug-2024 (%) | Sep-2024 (%) | Oct-2024 (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 0.5 | -0.7 | 1.0 |
| Vic. | 0.2 | -0.7 | 0.7 |
| Qld | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| SA | 0.8 | -0.4 | 1.0 |
| WA | 0.1 | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| Tas. | -0.5 | 0.4 | 0.9 |
| NT | 0.9 | -0.2 | 0.8 |
| ACT | 0.4 | -0.8 | 0.9 |
