Household spending in Australia rises by 29% in August

This is the 18th consecutive month of growth, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said.

Household spending in Australia rose by 29% in August, the 18th consecutive month the market saw growth, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). 

“There were strong increases following COVID-19 Delta lockdowns that reduced spending last year,” Jacqui Vitas, ABS Head of Macroeconomic Statistics, said. 

“The strongest increases were seen in Clothing and footwear (up 75.8%), Hotels, cafes and restaurants (up 64.8%) and Transport (up 57.8%).”

Read more: Australia’s retail sales inch up in August

Meanwhile, categories, such as Food (up 2.4%) and Alcoholic beverages and tobacco (up 0.2%), that were not heavily impacted by the lockdowns inched up over the same period. 

In comparison to its pre-pandemic level, total household spending showed an increase of 15.8% in current price. 

The strongest increase were recorded in Recreation and culture (up 31.1%), Clothing and footwear (up 26.3%), and Furnishing and household equipment (up 20.1%).