Economic Indicator Series Part 5 of 5 – Consumer Demand: Concepts, Measurement & Household Behaviour

This presentation is Part 5 of the 5-part Economic Indicators Series presented by Dr. Jason Dean, an economist who received a BBA from Wilfrid Laurier University, an MA in Economics from the University of Guelph and a PhD in Economics from McGill University, and who teaches macroeconomics, microeconomics, applied econometrics and labour economics.

It provides a practical framework for interpreting consumer demand by distinguishing desire from actual purchasing power and nominal spending from inflation-adjusted activity. The presentation examines disposable income, taxes, saving, credit, debt service, interest rates, wealth and confidence, along with spending across goods, services, essentials, discretionary purchases and durable goods. It also explains how retail sales, Personal Consumption Expenditures and Canadian household-consumption data reveal whether demand is broad, concentrated, income-supported or sustained through reduced savings and increased borrowing. Although it does not address a specific legal framework or case law, it offers legal and business professionals’ useful context for assessing household financial pressure, credit exposure, market conditions, client demand and broader economic risk.