State of the US consumer: January 2026
Discretionary spending intentions continue to recover but remain below 2021 levels amid rising household costs
Interactive
•
2-min read
•
30 January 2026
•
Deloitte Consumer Industry Center
Key insights about US consumers from Deloitte’s ConsumerSignals
- Deloitte’s financial well-being index ended 2025 with a 3-point climb, driven by stronger current-state sentiment (regarding savings, monthly household cash flow, etc.), which offset lingering caution around making large purchases and consumers’ outlook for their finances in the year ahead (figure 1).
- The percentage of respondents expecting higher grocery prices has eased slightly in recent months but remains elevated compared with the lows seen in 2024 (figure 2).
- Discretionary spending intentions continue to trend higher but remain slightly below 2021 levels (figure 3).
- Nondiscretionary spending intentions reached a four-year high (figure 3), predominantly driven by housing and health care (figure 4).
BY
Stephen Rogers
United States
Visit the Deloitte Consumer Industry Center
Access more insights for the automotive, consumer products, food, retail, wholesale and distribution, airlines and hospitality, and transportation sectors.