WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. consumer credit fell at an annual rate of 8.5 percent in November, a record tenth consecutive monthly fall, the Federal Reserve reported on Friday.

    The total borrowing dropped 17.5 billion U.S. dollars in November, a much bigger decline than the 5-billion-dollar decrease economists had expected.

    The previous record of seven straight months of consumer borrowing declines was set in 1943 and again in 1991.

    The Fed said that demand for revolving credit, the category that includes credit cards, fell 13.7 billion dollars in November, while borrowing in the category that includes auto loans dropped 3.8 billion dollars.

    Analysts say that the November data indicate consumer spending will remain weak, making it harder for the economy to keep a sustained rebound.

    Consumer spending, which accounts for about 70 percent of the overall economic activity, remains the major drive of the U.S. economy.