Household spending almost 2 percent up in July

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© Hollandse Hoogte / Hans van Rhoon
According to figures released by Statistics Netherlands (CBS), Dutch consumers spent 1.7 percent more in July 2019 than in July 2018. This is a higher growth rate than in the previous month. Consumers spent mainly more on home furnishings and household appliances.

The CBS Consumption Radar shows that circumstances for Dutch household consumption in September are, on balance, less favourable than in July.

Consumption figures have been adjusted for price changes and differences in the shopping-day pattern.

Domestic household consumption (volume, adjusted for shopping days)
Year MonthChange (year-on-year % change)
2015August1.5
2015September3
2015October2.5
2015November1.2
2015December1.5
2016January0.1
2016February0.4
2016March0.8
2016April0.8
2016May1.4
2016June0.8
2016July2.1
2016August1.2
2016September0.9
2016October1.7
2016November2.4
2016December1.6
2017January3.5
2017February2.2
2017March2.5
2017April2.8
2017May3
2017June2.7
2017July2.5
2017August2.3
2017September3.3
2017October1
2017November2.5
2017December1.7
2018January1.8
2018February3.2
2018March3.1
2018April3.3
2018May2.2
2018June2.7
2018July3
2018August2.8
2018September2.2
2018October2.3
2018November2.5
2018December2
2019January1.2
2019February0.7
2019March1.2
2019April1.6
2019May2.5
2019June1.4
2019July1.7

Spending on durable goods up in particular

In July, consumers spent 3.0 percent more on durable goods than in the same month last year, mainly on home furnishings and household appliances. Spending on other goods such as energy and motor fuels was up by 1.0 percent year-on-year. Consumers spent the same on food, beverages and tobacco as one year previously. Last week, CBS reported that retail turnover was 3.4 percent up in July year-on-year. The volume of sales increased by 2.3 percent. These figures were also adjusted for the shopping-day pattern.

Consumer spending on services – which accounts for over half of total domestic consumer expenditure - rose by 1.9 percent in July 2019 year-on-year. These services include insurance premiums, house rent, public transportation and visits to restaurants or hairdressers.

Domestic household consumption by category (volume, adjusted for shopping days), July 2019
 change (year-on-year % change)
Durable consumer goods3
Services1.9
Other goods (e.g. gas)1
Food, drinks and tobacco0
Total1.7

Consumer climate in September less favourable than in July

Every month, CBS publishes figures about circumstances for household consumption in the CBS Consumption Radar. Household consumption is influenced by factors such as consumers’ expectations, their personal financial situation and developments on the labour market. Although the Radar indicators show a strong correlation with household consumption, improved circumstances are not necessarily translated into increased growth.

According to The CBS Consumption Radar, circumstances for Dutch household consumption in September are less favourable than in July. This is mainly because consumers’ expectations about future unemployment were less positive and the year-on-year increase in the employed labour force was slightly smaller than in the previous month.

The figures presented in this news release are provisional and subject for revision.

With effect from the reporting month July 2019, figures are published using 2015 as the base year.