The bar chart gives information about the proportion of British households owning different consumer durables in the years 1996 and 2006. Overall, all categories experienced an increase in 2006 with the exception of telephones, and the largest growth was for internet connection and mobile phones.
In 1996, the vast majority of British households owned a telephone, approximately 90%. The percentage of households in the UK owning a microwave, or a fridge, or washing machine was almost equal in the first year, at about 70%. Although these three categories rose in the second year, the highest increase was for microwave, reaching 80% in 2006.
The picture was different for the remaining categories. While the percentage of British families owned mobile phones and internet connection climbed up, the increases were considerably. More people owned mobile phones, with increases from 20% in 1996 to around 50% in 1996. Notably, internet connection experienced the biggest growth, rising from approximately 5% in 1996 to 60% in 2006.