Household consumption over 2 percent up in September

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© Hollandse Hoogte / Marcel Krijgsman
According to figures released by Statistics Netherlands (CBS), households spent 2.2 percent more in September 2022 year on year, adjusted for price changes. As in the previous months, they again spent more on services, but less on goods.

These are volume figures, i.e., figures adjusted for price changes. In addition, they have been adjusted for differences in the shopping day pattern.

Domestic household consumption (volume, adjusted for shopping days)
Year MonthChange (year-on-year % change)
2018October2.1
2018November2.2
2018December1.7
2019January0.8
2019February0.5
2019March1
2019April1
2019May1.8
2019June1
2019July0.5
2019August0.5
2019September1.3
2019October1.4
2019November1.2
2019December2.4
2020January1
2020February2.1
2020March-7.2
2020April-17
2020May-11.9
2020June-7.1
2020July-2.4
2020August-2
2020September-3.7
2020October-5.8
2020November-6.2
2020December-11.2
2021January-12.4
2021February-11.6
2021March-0.1
2021April12.1
2021May11.2
2021June6.9
2021July2.6
2021August3.4
2021September4.7
2021October9.1
2021November9.2
2021December4.8
2022January12.3
2022February15.3
2022March12.7
2022April11.7
2022May6.8
2022June5.1
2022July4
2022August1.8
2022September2.2

Households spent more on services

In September 2022, consumers spent 5.2 percent more on services such as telephone and internet subscriptions, insurances, and visits to hairdressers, restaurants and football matches compared to September 2021 (adjusted for price changes). In September 2021, some coronavirus measures were still in force. Spending on services accounts for over half of total domestic consumer expenditure.

Adjusted for price changes, households spent 2.6 percent less on durable goods in September year on year. Spending on home furnishing and passenger cars, among other things, was down. There also was a year-on-year decrease of over 2.6 percent in the consumption of food, beverages and tobacco. Spending on other goods such as natural gas and persona care products was almost 1 percent up on one year previously.

Around two weeks ago, CBS reported that the volume of sales in retail trade in September 2022 was 3.5 percent lower than in September 2021. The volume of sales in the non-food sector decreased by almost 3 percent and in the food sector by over 3 percent. These figures have also been adjusted for the shopping-day pattern.

Domestic household consumption by category (volume, adjusted for shopping days), September 2022
 Change (year-on-year % change)
Services5.2
Other goods (e.g. gas)0.8
Durable goods-2.6
Food, drinks and tobacco-2.6
Total2.2