The pie charts compare the proportion of household expenditure on four essential categories in China in 1995 and 2011.
Overall, food accounted for the largest share of household spending in both years, despite experiencing a noticeable decline. Conversely, expenditure on medicine and household essentials increased over the 16-year period.
In 1995, food was the dominant expenditure category, making up nearly two-thirds of the total household budget at 68%. By 2011, although food remained the largest single category, its share had dropped significantly to 45%. Similarly, the proportion of spending on clothing experienced a slight decrease, falling from 19% in 1995 to 18% in 2011.
In contrast, spending on the other two categories saw an upward trend. The percentage allocated to medicine doubled, rising from 4% in 1995 to 9% in 2011. Household essentials recorded the most substantial relative growth, increasing three-fold from 9% to 28% over the same period.
