20.02.202613:30:00UTC+00U.S. Real Personal Consumption Growth Cools Slightly in December

Real personal consumption in the United States slowed modestly in December 2025, rising 0.1% month-over-month, down from a 0.2% increase in November 2025. The latest figures, updated on 20 February 2026, indicate a slight loss of momentum in consumer spending as the year came to a close.

On a month-over-month basis, the December reading reflects a weaker pace of growth compared with November, when real personal consumption had already moderated from earlier in the year. The indicator measures the change in inflation-adjusted consumer spending from one month to the next, with the “actual” value for December compared against November, and November’s “previous” figure compared with October.

The deceleration suggests that while U.S. consumers continued to increase their spending, they did so at a slower rate heading into the end of 2025, signaling a more cautious consumption trend at the margin.