Monthly Household Spending Indicator

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Experimental indicator of household spending using bank transactions data

Reference period

December 2021

Released

22/02/2022

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Release date and time

22/02/2022 11:30am AEDT

Key statistics

Household spending increased 8.6% through the year, current price, calendar adjusted.
Through the year, household spending increased the most for furnishings and household equipment (+27.4%) and hotels, cafes and restaurants (+23.6%). The largest through the year decrease was for recreation and culture (-8.9%).
Victoria (+13.8%) and New South Wales (+10.7%) were the states with the highest increases in household spending through the year.

This is the first release of a new experimental monthly household spending indicator using aggregated, de-identified banks transactions data. The indicator provides early insights into household consumption with approximately 68% coverage. Household consumption is approximately 50% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The indicator will be published eight weeks after each month. Over time, we expect to shorten the publication lag.

The ABS would like to thank and acknowledge the ongoing support of the participating banks who have enabled the production of this new monthly household spending indicator.

Monthly household spending overview

Household spending, current price, calendar adjusted (indexed to January 2019)
	Index	Monthly	Through the year
Feb-19	103.4	3.4	NA
Mar-19	106.1	2.5	NA
Apr-19	105.4	-0.7	NA
May-19	107.3	1.8	NA
Jun-19	110.9	3.4	NA
Jul-19	107.8	-2.8	NA
Aug-19	109.2	1.3	NA
Sep-19	108.8	-0.4	NA
Oct-19	110.8	1.8	NA
Nov-19	115.2	4	NA
Dec-19	124.5	8	NA
Jan-20	105.8	-15	5.8
Feb-20	104	-1.7	0.6
Mar-20	101.2	-2.7	-4.6
Apr-20	74.7	-26.2	-29.1
May-20	89.5	19.8	-16.6
Jun-20	98.2	9.8	-11.5
Jul-20	100	1.8	-7.2
Aug-20	95.4	-4.6	-12.6
Sep-20	98.5	3.2	-9.5
Oct-20	100.7	2.3	-9.1
Nov-20	115	14.2	-0.2
Dec-20	123.7	7.6	-0.6
Jan-21	101	-18.4	-4.6
Feb-21	104	3	0
Mar-21	108.3	4.2	7
Apr-21	107.5	-0.7	44
May-21	110.1	2.4	23.1
Jun-21	110.2	0.1	12.2
Jul-21	102.2	-7.3	2.2
Aug-21	99.8	-2.3	4.6
Sep-21	104.3	4.5	5.9
Oct-21	113	8.3	12.1
Nov-21	130.3	15.3	13.3
Dec-21	134.4	3.1	8.6

Household spending, current price, calendar adjusted (indexed to January 2019)

["","Index","Monthly","Through the year"]

[["Feb-19","Mar-19","Apr-19","May-19","Jun-19","Jul-19","Aug-19","Sep-19","Oct-19","Nov-19","Dec-19","Jan-20","Feb-20","Mar-20","Apr-20","May-20","Jun-20","Jul-20","Aug-20","Sep-20","Oct-20","Nov-20","Dec-20","Jan-21","Feb-21","Mar-21","Apr-21","May-21","Jun-21","Jul-21","Aug-21","Sep-21","Oct-21","Nov-21","Dec-21"],[[103.4],[106.1],[105.4],[107.3],[110.9],[107.8],[109.2],[108.8],[110.8],[115.2],[124.5],[105.8],[104],[101.2],[74.7],[89.5],[98.2],[100],[95.4],[98.5],[100.7],[115],[123.7],[101],[104],[108.3],[107.5],[110.1],[110.2],[102.2],[99.8],[104.3],[113],[130.3],[134.4]],[[3.4],[2.5],[-0.7],[1.8],[3.4],[-2.8],[1.3],[-0.4],[1.8],[4],[8],[-15],[-1.7],[-2.7],[-26.2],[19.8],[9.8],[1.8],[-4.6],[3.2],[2.3],[14.2],[7.6],[-18.4],[3],[4.2],[-0.7],[2.4],[0.1],[-7.3],[-2.3],[4.5],[8.3],[15.3],[3.1]],[[null],[null],[null],[null],[null],[null],[null],[null],[null],[null],[null],[5.8],[0.6],[-4.6],[-29.1],[-16.6],[-11.5],[-7.2],[-12.6],[-9.5],[-9.1],[-0.2],[-0.6],[-4.6],[0],[7],[44],[23.1],[12.2],[2.2],[4.6],[5.9],[12.1],[13.3],[8.6]]]

[]

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Index reference period January 2019 = 100.0

Indicator estimates are produced in current price original and current price calendar adjusted terms. Calendar adjusted estimates account for trading day impacts and length of month. As the indicator time series lengthens, seasonally adjusted estimates will become available. Until such time, it is advised to focus on the through the year movements.

Household spending through the year by category, current price, calendar adjusted
	Oct-21	Nov-21	Dec-21
Food	2.7	0.5	2.4
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco	7.0	5.5	-1.2
Clothing and footwear	-4.7	1.8	-2.3
Furnishings and household equipment	28.8	35.4	27.4
Health	5.9	9.5	7.9
Transport	27.1	31.6	22.0
Recreation and culture	-1.6	-5.8	-8.9
Hotels, cafes and restaurants	19.4	29.6	23.6
Miscellaneous goods and services	22.8	20.3	13.9
Total	12.1	13.3	8.6

Household spending through the year by category, current price, calendar adjusted

["","Oct-21","Nov-21","Dec-21"]

[["Food","Alcoholic beverages and tobacco","Clothing and footwear","Furnishings and household equipment","Health","Transport","Recreation and culture","Hotels, cafes and restaurants","Miscellaneous goods and services","Total"],[[2.7],[7],[-4.7],[28.8],[5.9],[27.1],[-1.6],[19.4],[22.8],[12.1]],[[0.5],[5.5],[1.8],[35.4],[9.5],[31.6],[-5.8],[29.6],[20.3],[13.3]],[[2.4],[-1.2],[-2.3],[27.4],[7.9],[22],[-8.9],[23.6],[13.9],[8.6]]]

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Through the year household spending increased in six spending categories. The largest through the year increases were in furnishings and household equipment (+27.4%) and hotels cafes and restaurants (+23.6%). Recreation and culture (-8.9%) and clothing and footwear (-2.3%) were the largest falls through the year.

State household spending through the year, current price, calendar adjusted
	Oct-21	Nov-21	Dec-21
NSW	11.4	14.7	10.7
Vic.	21.2	19.6	13.8
Qld	8.7	7.4	3.2
SA	7.7	11.5	3
WA	9.4	8.4	4.9
Tas.	8.9	7.7	4.9
NT	12.4	6.2	7.8
ACT	-5.3	10.1	7.4

State household spending through the year, current price, calendar adjusted

["","Oct-21","Nov-21","Dec-21"]

[["NSW","Vic.","Qld","SA","WA","Tas.","NT","ACT"],[[11.4],[21.2],[8.7],[7.7],[9.4],[8.9],[12.4],[-5.3]],[[14.7],[19.6],[7.4],[11.5],[8.4],[7.7],[6.2],[10.1]],[[10.7],[13.8],[3.2],[3],[4.9],[4.9],[7.8],[7.4]]]

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Household spending increased through the year for all states and territories with Victoria (+13.8%) and New South Wales (+10.7%) the highest increases. In Victoria household spending increased the most through the year for hotels, cafes and restaurants (+38.8%). In New South Wales the highest household spending increase was in furnishings and household equipment (+54.0%).

State household spending through the year by category, current price, calendar adjusted (%)
	NSW	Vic.	Qld	SA	WA	Tas.	NT	ACT
Food	0.9	4.9	3.0	1.7	0.5	1.3	13.3	-2.0
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco	10.0	11.6	-34.5	-5.9	-5.9	0.4	-16.3	15.6
Clothing and footwear	-11.8	6.4	-3.2	8.1	8.6	7.4	12.3	-41.6
Furnishings and household equipment	54.0	29.5	8.4	0.2	7.9	-5.7	10.0	21.9
Health	12.0	11.1	6.9	-4.0	-1.9	15.6	4.2	7.8
Transport	28.4	33.4	7.8	9.4	11.1	13.6	7.7	34.5
Recreation and culture	-25.3	-4.0	2.6	2.2	3.8	-1.7	7.8	-20.7
Hotels, cafes and restaurants	32.8	38.8	11.2	6.8	14.0	-0.6	26.4	13.8
Miscellaneous goods and services	19.3	15.3	10.0	6.1	6.9	10.3	-1.1	22.4
Total	10.7	13.8	3.2	3.0	4.9	4.9	7.8	7.4