US personal spending rose 0.9% month-on-month in March 2026 to $195.4 billion, up from an upwardly revised 0.6% gain in February and in line with market expectations. The advance was largely driven by stronger goods outlays, which climbed to $132.6 billion. Within goods, spending increased notably on gasoline and other energy products (+$81.3 billion), motor vehicles and parts (+$17.6 billion), other nondurable goods (+$9.9 billion), food and beverages (+$6.9 billion), and recreational goods and vehicles (+$6.3 billion).
Expenditures on services also rose, reaching $62.9 billion. The main contributors were health care (+$21.3 billion), financial services and insurance (+$14.6 billion), transportation services (+$6.7 billion), and other services (+$6.6 billion). Adjusted for inflation, however, consumer spending growth eased slightly, with real personal consumption expenditures slowing to 0.2% from a revised 0.3% in February.
