Band 9: The chart below gives information about the household percentage of spending on essential goods in China for the years 1995 and 2011 Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

The provided pie charts delineate the distribution of household expenditure on essential goods in China for the years 1995 and 2011, measured in percentage terms.

Notably, food remained the predominant category in both years, although its share witnessed a decline. Conversely, there was a marked increase in the allocations for medicine and household goods over this 16-year period.

In 1995, food constituted the largest portion of household budgets, accounting for a substantial 68%. This was followed by clothing, which represented a notable 19% of expenditures. Medicine and household goods comprised 9% and 4% respectively, with medicine having the smallest share of the budget in that year.

By 2011, there was a significant shift in spending patterns; the expenditure on food decreased to 59%, yet it retained its status as the primary category. The allocation for clothing saw a reduction to 11%, while medicine and household goods experienced an increase, with medicine rising to 18% and household goods to 12%. This trend indicates a shift in consumer priorities towards healthcare and domestic necessities over time.