Household spending rose just 0.1 per cent in April this year.
This is according to seasonally adjusted figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
This follows a 0.1 per cent fall in household spending in March, and a 0.2 per cent lift in February this year.
ABS head of business statistics Robert Ewing confirmed the slight nudge up was dragged back by households buying less clothing and footwear as well as alcohol and tobacco.
Clothing and footwear spending fell 3.5 per cent in April, down from a 0.5 per cent fall in March, with alcohol and tobacco down 3.2 per cent.
“Household spending remained steady in April, with a rise in spending on services being partly offset by a fall in goods spending,” Ewing said.
“Spending on recreational and cultural activities, health, and dining out contributed to a 1.5 per cent rise in services spending.
“Spending on goods fell by 1.1 per cent, with households buying less clothing and footwear and new vehicles.”
Only three of the nine spending categories rose in April, led by hotels, cafes and restaurants (up 2.2 per cent) and health (up 1.6 per cent).
Despite the overall slip for fashion, clothing and footwear spending was up 5 per cent in Queensland.
Household spending was 3.7 per cent higher than the same time last year. Hotels, cafes and restaurants (up 7.7 per cent) and health (up 6.9 per cent) have seen the largest percentage rises in the 12 months to April.
Services spending was 7.2 per cent higher than April 2024, while goods spending was up 0.9 per cent.
Household spending grew in two of the eight states and territories. Queensland had the largest percentage rise (up 2.0 per cent), bouncing back from the 1.3 per cent fall in March when ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred negatively impacted spending.
Western Australia (up 0.5 per cent) was the only other jurisdiction where spending rose.
The largest percentage falls were seen in Tasmania (down 1.5 per cent), the Northern Territory (down 0.9 per cent), and Victoria (down 0.8 per cent).