Household spending 3.5 percent down in September

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According to figures released by Statistics Netherlands (CBS), consumers spent 3.5 percent less in September 2020 than in the same month last year. The decline is somewhat larger than in the previous month. Just as in the previous few months, consumers spent less on services, but more on goods.

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)
2016October1.7
2016November2.4
2016December1.6
2017January3.3
2017February2.6
2017March2.2
2017April2.8
2017May3
2017June2.7
2017July2.5
2017August2.3
2017September3.3
2017October1
2017November2.6
2017December1.7
2018January1.7
2018February3.2
2018March3
2018April3.2
2018May2
2018June2.6
2018July2.8
2018August2.6
2018September2
2018October2.1
2018November2.2
2018December1.7
2019January1.3
2019February0.9
2019March1.4
2019April1.5
2019May2.5
2019June1.4
2019July1.1
2019August1.1
2019September2
2019October2
2019November1.7
2019December3.1
2020January0.9
2020February1.2
2020March-6.4
2020April-17.1
2020May-12.1
2020June-7.1
2020July-3.4
2020August-2.4
2020September-3.5

Lower spending on services

In September, consumers spent 6.9 percent less on services than in the same month last year. This mainly applied to e.g. restaurants, theatres, amusement parks, gyms and football games as well as public transportation. 

Consumer spending on durable goods increased by 1.7 percent. Households mainly spent more on electrical appliances and home furnishings compared to September 2019. Consumer spending on food, beverages and tobacco was 2.8 percent up year-on-year. Spending on other goods, such as natural gas and motor fuels, was 1.5 percent down. 

Two weeks ago, CBS reported a year-on-year turnover growth in retail trade of 7.6 percent in September 2020. The volume of sales increased by 5.5 percent. Turnover was up in both the food sector and the non-food sector. These figures were adjusted for the shopping-day pattern as well.

Domestic household consumption by category (volume, adjusted for shopping days), September 2020
 Change (year-on-year % change)
Food, drinks and tobacco2.8
Durable goods1.7
Other goods (e.g. gas)-1.5
Services-6.9
Total-3.5

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