30.04.202605:51:59UTC+00France Household Spending Rebounds

Household consumption of goods in France rose by 0.7% month-on-month in March 2026, in line with market expectations and rebounding from a 1.4% decline in February. This was the strongest monthly increase since February 2025, largely supported by a renewed rise in purchases of engineered goods (up 1.6% after a 2.1% drop in February), especially durables (up 2.9% vs -2.3%) and textiles and clothing (up 1.1% vs -4.4%).

Energy spending inched up 0.1% following a 1.4% fall in the previous month, as electricity consumption rose slightly while diesel use declined again. Food consumption continued to contract but at a slower pace (-0.1% vs -0.6%), with increased spending on tobacco and beverages partially offsetting ongoing weakness in purchases of agricultural products and processed fruits and vegetables.

On an annual basis, household spending rose 0.5%, following an upwardly revised 1.6% decrease in February. Over the first quarter of 2026 as a whole, consumption fell 0.6%, reversing a 0.4% increase in the previous quarter, mainly reflecting lower energy expenditure (-2.3% vs +0.5% in Q4).