“In 1968, food constituted the highest proportion of families’ weekly income, reaching nearly 35%. However, by 2018, this percentage had significantly dropped to approximately 15%. Conversely, housing costs surged from around 15% in 1968 to over 25% in 2018, indicating a substantial increase. Additionally, leisure expenditure more than doubled over the fifty-year period, rising to about 22% in 2018.
Transport expenses also experienced a significant upturn, rising from approximately 10% in 1968 to over 30% in 2018, indicating a notable increase in mobility costs. On the other hand, expenditure on household goods remained relatively stable at around 7% in both 1968 and 2018.
In 1968, apart from food, none of the categories exceeded 10% of the weekly income. However, by 2018, leisure and housing emerged as the highest expenses, comprising approximately 22% and 19% of family income, respectively. In contrast, clothing and footwear, fuel and power, and personal goods all witnessed a decrease, accounting for not more than 5% of the weekly income in 2018.
Overall, the data illustrates a significant transformation in expenditure patterns over the fifty-year period, with notable shifts towards leisure, housing, and transportation expenses, while other expenditure categories remained relatively stable or decreased