Task 1
The bar chart illustrates the percentage of weekly income spent by families in one country on different categories in 1968 and 2018.
Overall, food played the leading role in family spending in 1968, with a considerably higher percentage than the other categories. However, in 2018, leisure became the largest type of spending. It is also noticeable that spending on housing, transport and leisure increased, whereas food, clothing and footwear, fuel and power and personal goods decreased. Household goods remained relatively stable.
In 1968, families spent approximately 35% of their weekly income on food, which was by far the highest figure. Housing and clothing and footwear accounted for around 10% each. Spending on leisure was roughly 9%, while household goods, personal goods and transport were just under 10%. Fuel and power had the lowest proportion, at approximately 6%.
In 2018, spending on food fell dramatically to about 17%. In contrast, leisure experienced a considerable increase, reaching roughly 22% and becoming the largest category. Housing also rose significantly to around 18%, while transport increased from approximately 8% to 14%. On the other hand, clothing and footwear declined to about 5%, and fuel and power and personal goods both fell to roughly 4%. Spending on household goods changed only slightly and remained at around 8%.