Household spending in Sweden slipped by 0.1% month-on-month in May 2026, easing from a 0.7% decline in April and compared with a preliminary weekly indicator of a 0.7% drop. Consumption fell in several categories, including health (-4.5% vs +3.1% in April), furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance (-1.7% vs -0.2%), transport (-4.5% vs -6.2%), alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics (-2.1% vs +1.5%), personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services (-4.0% vs -4.2%), and recreation, sport and culture (-0.1% vs -5.1%).
By contrast, spending continued to increase on food and non-alcoholic beverages (+0.7% vs +1.7%) and on information and communication (+0.9% vs +2.1%). It also rebounded in clothing and footwear (+0.2% vs -5.2%), housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (+1.4% vs -0.1%), and restaurants and accommodation services (+1.6% vs -0.3%). On an annual basis, household consumption rose by 2.1% in May, accelerating from a 1.7% increase in the previous period.
