The two bar charts compare the different proportions of household expenditure allocated to food and other products in three European countries between 1998 and 2008.
Overall, it is evident that all three countries saw a significant rise in the proportion of income spent on food and other products over the decade. France consistently allocated the highest shares, whereas England spent the least throughout the period.
In 1998, French families allocated 15% of their budget to food, increasing dramatically by 25 percentage points to reach 40% in 2008. France’s increase was twice as large as Germany’s. In contrast, Germany’s food spending rose modestly from 25% to 30%, and England’s share climbed from 10% to 15%.
A similar pattern applies to other products. In 1998, France spent only about 5% on this category, yet by 2008 it saw a sharp surge to approximately 40%. England likewise experienced a considerable surge, rising from 5% to 35%, whereas Germany recorded only a modest increase from 15% to roughly 25%.