Australia household spending rises 0.6% in September, beating forecasts

Australian household spending rose 0.6% in September 2026 from August to A$82.6 billion, seasonally adjusted, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said in a release dated November 4, 2026. Analysts had expected a rise of about 0.2%, Reuters reported, after a 0.1% fall in August.

Fuel spending rose 5.4% in September, which the ABS linked to higher global oil prices and the end of fuel excise relief on August 3. Experimental ABS data suggested the volume of fuel spending fell 2.2% in September, after a 0.6% fall in August.

ABS head of business statistics Tom Lay said transport and health spending each rose 1.5% in September, while recreation and culture rose 0.8%. "The rise in Transport reflected higher spending on fuel, vehicle repairs and maintenance, and domestic air travel as people travelled to attend major sporting events," Lay said.

Household spending volumes rose 0.7% in the September quarter, the fourth consecutive quarterly increase, the ABS said. Seven of the nine spending categories recorded increases, with transport the strongest at 1.6%, led by higher air travel spending after a subdued 0.1% increase in the June quarter.