The bar chart illustrates the percentage of weekly expenditure allocated to different categories by people in 1968 and 2018.
Overall, spending patterns have shifted significantly over the fifty-year period. In 2018, people spent more on leisure, transport, and housing compared to 1968, while expenditure on food saw a notable decrease.
In 1968, food was the largest expenditure category, accounting for 35% of weekly spending. By 2018, this figure had dropped dramatically to 17%. In contrast, spending on housing rose from 10% in 1968 to 22% in 2018. Similarly, expenditure on transport and leisure increased significantly, with transport rising from 8% to 14% and leisure from 9% to 22%.
The expenditure on household goods remained constant at 8% in both years. Conversely, there were slight decreases in spending on fuel and power, clothing and footwear, and personal goods, each dropping by a few percentage points.
In summary, while spending on essentials like food and clothing decreased, funds allocated to housing, transport, and leisure activities increased substantially.
