The pie charts illustrate household spending patterns in two countries—namely, the UK and New Zealand—from 1980 to 2008.
At first glance, it is readily apparent that the largest proportion of household spending in the two countries was on food and drink, while the category named “other” accounted for a small share. Both countries saw an increase in spending on utility bills over the given period.
Looking at the pie charts in detail, food and drink was the largest spending category in both countries in 1980, accounting for 23% in the UK and 29% in New Zealand. However, spending on food and drink dropped noticeably in the UK to 13%, while in New Zealand it decreased slightly to 25% by 2008. Utility bills experienced an opposite trend, rising from 26% to 28% in the UK and from 27% to 31% in New Zealand. In terms of leisure, the UK saw a significant rise in spending, from 27% in 1980 to 34% in 2008, whereas in New Zealand the proportion decreased steadily, from 18% to 17%.
Regarding other categories, spending on transport slightly fell in both countries over time. Meanwhile, the share for “other” increased slightly in the UK and New Zealand between 1980 and 2008.