The bar chart illustrates how households in a European country allocated their weekly income in 1990 and 2020.
Overall, groceries accounted for the largest share of expenditure in 1990, while rent and housing costs dominated in 2020. Over the period, spending on clothing and groceries fell considerably, whereas housing and transport experienced notable increases.
In 1990, households spent about 10% of their weekly income on entertainment, slightly more than the 6% allocated to personal care. Clothing represented around 12%, while transport and utilities accounted for 9% and 7% respectively. The greatest share went to groceries at 28%, followed by rent and housing costs at approximately 18%.
By 2020, expenditure on entertainment and personal care had fallen slightly compared with 1990, while clothing declined sharply to just 5%, matching the proportion spent on personal care. Transport costs rose to 11%, while groceries dropped significantly to 19%. Utilities decreased marginally, but housing costs increased dramatically to 35%, becoming the largest category of weekly spending.
