France Household Spending Rises Unexpectedly

Household consumption in France unexpectedly rose 0.3% month-on-month in September 2025, surpassing market expectations of no change and accelerating from an upwardly revised 0.2% growth in August. The modest recovery was mainly supported by rebounds in energy spending (0.5% vs -0.1% in August) due to a sharp acceleration in gas consumption and a strong rebound in super unleaded petrol consumption; and food products (0.2% vs -0.1%), driven by higher spending on bakery, pastry, and other miscellaneous food items. Meanwhile, spending on manufactured goods moderated (0.3% vs 0.5%), with outlays on durable goods picking up, while spending on textiles and clothing slowed markedly. On an annual basis, household consumption fell 0.3% in September 2025.