Household spending in Australia rose by 0.4% month-on-month in January 2025 on a current price, seasonally adjusted basis, and increased 2.9% annually, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Robert Ewing, ABS head of business statistics, commented: "While spending on Goods pushed up overall spending in late 2024, a 1.5% rise for Services drove the January growth. This came as households spent more on health services, air travel, and sports and physical recreation services."
Spending patterns across categories showed mixed results, with Health recording the largest monthly increase, rising 2.5%. This was driven by increased expenditures on doctor and hospital visits.
Transport spending also rose by 1.1%, reflecting strong demand for air and sea travel as households planned trips for the year ahead.
Additionally, higher costs associated with petrol and motor vehicle repairs contributed to the growth. However, weaker new vehicle purchases offset some of these gains.
Conversely, Furnishings and household equipment and Clothing and footwear both saw declines of 1.5%, following a period of steady growth in late 2024.
Household spending increased across all Australian states and territories in seasonally adjusted, current price terms. The Northern Territory recorded the highest growth at 1.8%, followed by the Australian Capital Territory at 0.6%. New South Wales saw the smallest rise, edging up by just 0.1%.
