Australian household spending rose 0.6 percent in September, following a 0.1 percent fall in August, according to official data released on Wednesday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The uptick, the ABS’s Tom Lay, head of business statistics, said, came across both essential and discretionary categories, with transport and health each climbing 1.5 percent and recreation and culture up 0.8 percent.
Transport spending rose on higher fuel costs, vehicle repairs and maintenance, and domestic air travel as people headed to major sporting events, Lay said. Fuel expenditure jumped 5.4 percent in September, reflecting higher global oil prices and the removal of fuel excise relief on Aug. 3. Nevertheless, separate experimental ABS data showed that the volume of fuel purchased fell 2.2 percent during the month, following a 0.6 percent decline in August.
"Transport spending rose on higher expenditure on fuel, vehicle repairs and maintenance, and domestic air travel as people travelled to attend major sporting events," Lay said.
Health spending increased due to greater outlays on doctor visits, dental and optometric services, pharmaceuticals and toiletry goods, Lay added. He noted that late‑season flu activity likely pushed up demand for medical consultations and medicines.
On a quarterly basis, household spending grew 0.7 percent in the September quarter, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of growth, Lay said, with seven of nine spending categories recording increases. Transport posted the strongest quarterly growth, rising 1.6 percent, led by higher air‑travel spending.
These figures represent a modest rebound from the slight September decline, the ABS’s latest release confirmed. The data combine price and volume changes, with the latter figures for fuel highlighting a divergence between cost increases and purchase volumes.
The ABS has not yet clarified the full impact of the fuel excise relief removal on consumer behaviour, nor whether the long‑term trend in transport spending will persist as fuel prices continue to fluctuate.
