25 February 2011

2011- n° 51

In January, households consumption in manufactured goods decreased (-0.5%) Household consumption expenditure on goods - January 2011

In January, households consumption in manufactured goods decreased by 0.5% in volume*, after having increased by 0.4% in December.

[* Volumes are chained and all figures are trading days and seasonally adjusted.]

Expenditure in durables decreased in January (-1.7%) after a sharp increase at the end of last year (+5.8% and +3.3% in November and December respectively). This decrease is mainly due to the decline in car purchases (-6.3% in January) before the end of the scrapage program, however, the after-effect is limited.

Expenditure in household durables increased with respect to December (+2.4%), caused in particular by dynamic purchases of furniture.

In January, expenditure in textile decreased by 1.8% after a decrease in December (-0.9%).

Expenditure in other manufactured goods increased in January (+1.1% after -1.1% in December). This increase is mainly imputable to clocks and jewellery expenditure and hardware purchases.

The growth of consumption in manufactured goods is now estimated at +0.4% (+0.6% initially announced). The variation of expenditure in durables is revised by –0.3 point; car purchases are revised by -0.5 point and those in household durables by -0.2 point. The change in consumption in textile expenditure is revised by +0.1 point. Expenditure in other manufactured goods are revised by -0.2 point.

These revisions are mainly due to the update of seasonal and working day adjustment. To a lesser extent, they are explained by new informations on other manufactured goods.