Band 9: The chart below gives information about how families in one country spent their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The bar chart presents a comparative overview of the average weekly expenditure of families in a particular country in 1968 and 2018, categorised into eight distinct areas.

A prominent shift in spending patterns is evident between the two years, with notable changes in the allocation of income across various categories.

In 1968, the largest proportion of expenditure was devoted to food, accounting for 35% of the weekly income, followed by housing (22%) and transport (15%). In contrast, by 2018, housing emerged as the dominant category, absorbing 40% of the family income, with transport and leisure accounting for 30% and 15%, respectively.

While there was a decline in the proportion of income spent on food, the expenditure on fuel and power remained relatively low, with a marginal increase from under 5% in 1968 to around 5% in 2018. Other categories, such as clothing and footwear, household goods, and personal goods, witnessed modest increases, ranging from 5% to 10% in both years.