The bar chart compares the average weekly expenditure of families in a given country across two years: 1968 and 2018. Overall, while spending on food, fuel and power, clothing and footwear, and personal goods decreased over the 50-year period, there were notable increases in other categories, most significantly in housing, transport, and leisure. Household goods was the only category where spending remained stable.
In 1968, food was the largest expenditure, accounting for 35% of the weekly budget, far surpassing all other categories. At the lower end of spending, fuel and power took up just 6% of family income, while the remaining categories—clothing and footwear, personal goods, and household goods—comprised between 5% and 10% of the budget.
By 2018, the allocation of family spending had shifted dramatically. Leisure had become the dominant category, constituting 22% of the budget, a significant 13% increase from 1968. Housing followed closely at 19%, rising by 9% over the 50 years. Transport also saw considerable growth, rising to 14%. Conversely, expenditure on food dropped to 17%, while fuel and power, clothing and footwear, and personal goods all declined to between 4% and 5%. Household goods remained constant at 7%, making it the only category that did not experience change.