WASHINGTON - Consumer borrowing rose in March at the fastest pace in four months, more than double the increase of the previous month, indicating that a slowing economy is leading Americans to accumulate credit-card and other debt.

The Federal Reserve reported that consumers increased their borrowing at an annual rate of 7.2 percent, compared with a 3.1 percent rate of increase in February.

The gain was much larger than economists had been expecting and reflected strong borrowing on credit cards and also in the category that includes auto loans.