The bar chart illustrates the proportion of commodities allocated to European families during 2004 and 2008.
Overall, the figure for mobile phone and home computer ownership experienced a sharp rise, while that of other goods increased moderately. Notably, the percentage of TV ownership recorded the highest proportion throughout the period.
In detail, in 2004, the proportion for households possessing TV and telephones started at 92%, which was two times as high as home computer owners, followed by CD players (75%), microwaves (65%), and clothes dryers (59%). After the four-year period, they witnessed an upward tendency to 98%, 77%, 70%, and 65% correspondingly. Nonetheless, the telephone’s percentage declined slightly to 91%.
Conversely, the number of dishwasher ownership began at 23%, which was the lowest share. Similarly, the percentage of households having computers, mobile phones, and dishwashers started at below 40%. In 2008, these types of goods rose significantly to 75%, 88%, and 30% respectively. Specifically, mobile phone ownership showed the largest disparity between the two years.