Household spending rose 0.1 per cent in April, according to seasonally adjusted figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
This follows a 0.1 per cent fall in March and a 0.2 per cent rise in February.
Robert Ewing, ABS head of business statistics, said: 'Household spending remained steady in April, with a rise in spending on services being partly offset by a fall in goods spending.
'Spending on recreational and cultural activities, health, and dining out contributed to a 1.5 per cent rise in services spending.
'Spending on goods fell by 1.1 per cent, with households buying less clothing and footwear and new vehicles.'
| Goods (%) | Services (%) | Total (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov-24 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.8 |
| Dec-24 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Jan-25 | -0.4 | 2.0 | 0.7 |
| Feb-25 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Mar-25 | 0.4 | -0.6 | -0.1 |
| Apr-25 | -1.1 | 1.5 | 0.1 |
Three of the nine spending categories rose in April, led by Hotels, cafes and restaurants (+2.2 per cent) and Health (+1.6 per cent). Meanwhile, Clothing and footwear fell 3.5 per cent.
| Feb-2025 (%) | Mar-2025 (%) | Apr-2025 (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food | 0.9 | 1.5 | 0.0 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | -1.3 | -2.0 | -3.2 |
| Clothing and footwear | 0.0 | -0.5 | -3.5 |
| Furnishings and household equipment | 0.3 | 0.2 | -0.7 |
| Health | -0.1 | -0.7 | 1.6 |
| Transport | -0.6 | -0.3 | -1.1 |
| Recreation and culture | 1.1 | 0.2 | 1.1 |
| Hotels, cafes and restaurants | 0.5 | -1.0 | 2.2 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | -0.5 | 0.4 | -0.1 |
| Total | 0.2 | -0.1 | 0.1 |
Household spending was 3.7 per cent higher than the same time last year. Hotels, cafes and restaurants (+7.7 per cent) and Health (+6.9 per cent) have seen the largest percentage rises in the 12 months to April.
Services spending was 7.2 per cent higher than April 2024, while goods spending was up 0.9 per cent.
Household spending grew in two of the eight states and territories. Queensland had the largest percentage rise (+2.0 per cent), bouncing back from the 1.3 per cent fall in March when ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred negatively impacted spending.
Western Australia (+0.5 per cent) was the only other jurisdiction where spending rose.
The largest percentage falls were seen in Tasmania (-1.5 per cent), the Northern Territory (-0.9 per cent), and Victoria (-0.8 per cent).
| Feb-2025 (%) | Mar-2025 (%) | Apr-2025 (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 0.3 | -0.3 | -0.5 |
| Vic. | 0.0 | 0.7 | -0.8 |
| Qld | 0.2 | -1.3 | 2.0 |
| SA | 0.1 | 0.0 | -0.1 |
| WA | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Tas. | 0.4 | 0.7 | -1.5 |
| NT | 1.0 | -0.6 | -0.9 |
| ACT | -0.2 | 0.5 | -0.3 |
Over the past year, the ABS has made improvements to the Monthly Household Spending Indicator (MHSI).
'The improvements made to the MHSI mean the Retail Trade publication will end from 31 July 2025,' Mr Ewing said.
'The improved MHSI data will give a more comprehensive view of household spending and save businesses time by removing the need to complete a Retail Business Survey.'
