Experimental estimates of household spending
In December 2024:
A media statement on Thursday 23 November 2023 announced that the ABS would be enhancing the Monthly Household Spending Indicator (MHSI), and ceasing the Retail Trade publication after the June 2025 reference period. For more information, please see MHSI enhancements below or visit the Future cessation of the Retail Business Survey and Retail Trade Publication webpage.
| Dec-24 ($ millions) | Nov-2024 to Dec-2024 (% change) | Dec-2023 to Dec-2024 (% change) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 82,242.0 | 2.8 | 3.8 |
| Seasonally Adjusted | 75,240.4 | 0.4 | 4.3 |
| Trend | 74,989.9 | 0.4 | 3.2 |
In seasonally adjusted, current price terms household spending increased for five of the nine spending categories. The largest increases were in:
In seasonally adjusted, current price terms, household spending on goods rose 0.4% month-on-month, driven by increased spending on purchase of vehicles, clothing and footwear, and motoring goods.
In seasonally adjusted, current price terms, household spending on services rose 0.3% month-on-month, driven by increased spending on catering services, air passenger and sea transport, and accommodation services.
In seasonally adjusted, current price terms, discretionary spending rose 0.6% month-on-month, driven by increased spending on catering services, purchase of vehicles, air passenger and sea transport, and clothing and footwear.
In seasonally adjusted, current price terms, non-discretionary spending fell 0.2% month-on-month, driven by decreased spending on total health services, rail and road transport, and motor vehicle repair and maintenance.
In seasonally adjusted, current price terms, household spending increased for all states and territories. The strongest increases were in:
In Western Australia, the strongest household spending categories for the month were:
In Tasmania, the strongest household spending categories for the month were:
In the Northern Territory, the strongest household spending categories for the month were:
| NSW | Vic. | Qld | SA | WA | Tas. | NT | ACT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food | -0.1 | 0.4 | -0.3 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | -0.2 | 0.1 |
| Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | -0.3 | -0.8 | -1.6 | -0.9 | -1.3 | -0.4 | 0.1 | -1.6 |
| Clothing and footwear | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | -1.9 |
| Furnishings and household equipment | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.7 | -0.9 | 0.5 | -0.4 | -1.7 | 0.8 |
| Health | -1.0 | -0.7 | -0.8 | 1.5 | -1.8 | -1.0 | 0.7 | 1.4 |
| Transport | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.1 | 2.9 | 5.0 | 2.9 | 2.2 |
| Recreation and culture | -0.5 | -0.1 | -0.7 | -0.4 | -0.4 | -2.1 | -0.5 | -1.2 |
| Hotels, cafes and restaurants | 1.7 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.4 | -1.7 | 0.1 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 2.3 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 2.6 | -0.5 | 4.1 | 0.5 |
| Total | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
In original, volume terms household spending increased through the year for eight of the nine spending categories. The largest increases were in:
In original, volume terms household spending increased through the year for five of the states and territories. The strongest increases were in:
Caution: Data in Data Explorer is currently released after the 11:30am release on the ABS website. Please check the reference period when using Data Explorer.
For more information about Data Explorer, see the Data Explorer user guide.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has collaborated with key data users to enhance the Monthly Household Spending Indicator (MHSI) and better address their needs. Based on user feedback, enhancements to MHSI have been progressively rolled out. These improvements provide a more comprehensive view of household consumption, including:
Current price, seasonally adjusted estimates of spending have been introduced this month for the nine in-scope COICOP Divisions by State and territory.
Prior to Retail Trade ceasing, the ABS will continue to work with partners and stakeholders to further enhance the MHSI and provide users with suitable timely data to support their needs. More Information about this transition can be found on the Future cessation of the Retail Business Survey and Retail Trade Publication webpage or through contacting us at household.spending@abs.gov.au.
The ABS would like to acknowledge the ongoing support of the participating banks that have enabled the ABS to produce these statistics.
Data is available for:
Aggregated, de-identified bank card transactions data provided to the ABS from participating banks. Also collected are supermarket transactions and new vehicle sales data.
Participating banks send transactions data soon after the end of each calendar month. Supermarkets send weekly transactions files, and VFACTS is received as a monthly delivery from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).
Household consumption is categorised to COICOP Divisions. Outputs from 9 COICOPs and all states and territories are published. Data is benchmarked to annual HFCE and adjusted monthly to cover data gaps such as cash spending.
December 2024: