Consumer borrowing in the US rose more than forecast in January, capping the biggest three-month gain in more than a decade, as demand for autos improved and Americans sought more education.

Credit increased by $17.8 billion to $2.51 trillion, Federal Reserve figures showed yesterday. The gain topped the $10.5 billion economists predicted.

In the three months to January, borrowing climbed by the most since mid 2000.

“This could signal increasing household optimism,” Dana Saporta, an economist at Credit Suisse in New York, said in a report. “Consumer borrowing had been dominated by student loans.”