The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ August Household Spending Indicator, published on September 29, showed total spending unchanged from July in seasonally adjusted terms. Spending was 6.8% higher than a year earlier. Transport spending increased 2.3% for the month, while recreation and culture fell 1.4%; clothing and footwear, recreational goods, food, health and furniture also declined.

The ABS said fuel spending rose 8.1% in August, with prices contributing after the full restoration of fuel excise from August 3. New vehicle purchases, particularly electric vehicles, also contributed to the rise in transport. The indicator is derived from aggregated, de-identified bank card transactions, supermarket scanner data and motor-vehicle sales data from the FCAI and Electric Vehicle Council; its coverage differs from household final consumption in the national accounts and from retail trade measures. Nominal growth can include price changes, so it should not be read by itself as real consumption growth.