Consumer card spending grew by 10.6% in 2022 – fuelled by holidays abroad and socialising after all lockdown restrictions were lifted, as well as rising inflation.
Data from Barclaycard found the amount spent on its debit and credit cards rose year-on-year as people returned to shopping in-store, eating and drinking out, and booking holidays.
However, spending on essential items also grew by 6.3% – thanks to a 28.3% rise in fuel spend, driven by surging petrol and diesel prices and increased car use as life returned to normal post-pandemic.
