The chart shows the changes which took place in student spending in the United kingdom during the three-year period from 1996 to 1999.
Students spent 3% less on accommodation, which fell from 23% to 20% of total expenditure, and there was a 2% decrease in spending on Food, bills and houshold goods, which fell from 20% to 18%. At the same time course expenditure went down by 3% from 10% to 7%. Children, who constituted 1% of student’s expenditure in 1996, are not represented in 1999.
On the other hand, three was a 5% growth in spending on entertainment, which stood at 26% of total expenditure in 1996 but rose to 31% in 1999. Spending on other non-essential items and credit repayments grew by 4% to make up 16% of total expenditure. Spending on essential travel went up by 3% while non-essential travel underwent a 1% fall.
Overall, with the exception of expenditure on travel, the most significant general change was a shift from spending on essential items to spending on non-essential items.
