27 April 2018
2018- n° 112Household consumption expenditure on goods was virtually stable in March 2018 (+0.1%)
and unchanged over the first quarter (0.0%) Household consumption expenditure on goods - March 2018
In March 2018, househoulds expenditure on goods was virtually stable (+0.1%) in volume*. Tobacco aside, food consumption increased strongly, as well as durables purchases. However, energy and textile-clothing's consumption decreased.
Over the whole quarter, expenditure on goods was stable (0.0%), like in the previous quarter. The increase in spending on energy and textile-clothing was offset by lower spending on other goods, in particular food products.
- Engineered goods: increase in March, slight decrease over the quarter
- Durables: acceleration in March, downturn over the quarter
- Textile-clothing: downturn in March, slight recovery over the quarter
- Other engineered goods: recovery in March, further decline over the quarter
- Food products: slowdown in March, downturn over the quarter
- Energy: decrease in March, increase over the quarter
- The variation in Februrary 2018 is revised upwards
In March 2018, househoulds expenditure on goods was virtually stable (+0.1%) in volume*. Tobacco aside, food consumption increased strongly, as well as durables purchases. However, energy and textile-clothing's consumption decreased.
Over the whole quarter, expenditure on goods was stable (0.0%), like in the previous quarter. The increase in spending on energy and textile-clothing was offset by lower spending on other goods, in particular food products.
*Volumes are measured at chain-link previous year prices (2010 euro billions) and all figures are trading-day and seasonally adjusted.
graphiqueGraph1 – Total consumption of goods
- Source: INSEE
Engineered goods: increase in March, slight decrease over the quarter
In March 2018, expenditure on engineered goods increased again (+0.7% after +0.8%). Over the quarter, it decreased slightly (−0.2% after −0.1%).
Durables: acceleration in March, downturn over the quarter
In March, consumption of durables accelerated (+1.8% after +0.5%). Households durables purchases increased again (in particular furnitures), as transport equipment purchases, thanks to the recovery of the second-hand car market. Over the quarter, expenses on durables declined (−0.4% after +0.7%).
Textile-clothing: downturn in March, slight recovery over the quarter
After boucing back in February, expenses on textile-clothing decreased again in March (−1.6% after +2.8%). This fall affected the whole sector (clothing, textile and shoes). Over the quarter, consumption recovered slightly (+0.4% after −2.0%).
Other engineered goods: recovery in March, further decline over the quarter
Purchases of “other engineered goods” increased again in March (+0.5%), after three consecutive months of decline. Consumption of perfume and of DIY items were particularly dynamic. However, over the whole quarter, expenses on "other engineered goods” declined again (−0.4 % after −0.2%).
graphiqueGraph2 – Breakdown of engineered goods
- Source: INSEE
Food products: slowdown in March, downturn over the quarter
In March 2018, food consumption slowed down (+0.2% after +1.2%). This slowdown comes entirely from the fall in tobacco consumption, whose price has increased strongly on March, 1st: in fact, excluding tobacco, food purchases remained dynamic (+1.4% after +1.2%). Over the quarter, food consumption decreased (−0.5% after +0.3%), even after excluding tobacco (−0.1% after +0.6%).
graphiqueGraph3 – Food products, engineered goods and energy
- Source: INSEE
Energy: decrease in March, increase over the quarter
In March 2018, energy consumption decreased slightly, after a strong rise in February (−1.6 % after +9.9%). Heating purpose expenses decreased: March's temperatures were lower than the seasonal norm, but less dramatically than in February. Over the quarter, energy consumption bounced back (+1,4 % after 0,6%), whether in gas-electricity or in refined products.
graphiqueGraph4 – Breakdown of energy
- Source: INSEE
The variation in Februrary 2018 is revised upwards
Compared to the previous estimation, the change of household expenditure on goods in February 2018 was revised upwards: +2.5% instead of +2.4%. Indeed, new information has been integrated and the seasonal adjustment coefficients have been updated.
tableauTable – Household consumption expenditure on goods
| Weight (1) | Jan. 2018 | Feb. 2018 | Mar. 2018 | Mar. 18 / Mar. 17 | Q1 18 / Q4 17 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food products | 38 | –0.8 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | –0.5 |
| - excl. Tobacco | 35 | –1.0 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 2.0 | –0.1 |
| Engineered goods | 44 | –0.9 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.2 | –0.2 |
| - Durables | 22 | –1.1 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 3.4 | –0.4 |
| Including : | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| - Transport equipment | 12 | –2.7 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 3.6 | –0.3 |
| - Household durables | 7 | 1.3 | –0.5 | 2.5 | 3.6 | –0.5 |
| - Textile-clothing | 9 | –1.5 | 2.8 | –1.6 | –2.2 | 0.4 |
| - Other engineered goods | 13 | –0.3 | –0.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | –0.4 |
| Energy | 18 | –7.0 | 9.9 | –1.6 | 9.9 | 1.4 |
| - Energy, water, waste | 10 | –9.7 | 17.3 | –3.3 | 16.2 | 2.0 |
| - Refined Products | 8 | –3.5 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 0.6 |
| Total | 100 | –2.0 | 2.5 | 0.1 | 2.3 | 0.0 |
| - Including Manufactured goods | 84 | –1.1 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 1.0 | –0.2 |
- (1) Weighting in the consumption expenditure on goods in value in 2016
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