The two charts illustrate how a typical single adult in Canada allocated their annual spending in 2012 and 2022.
Overall, at the beginning of the period, the rental cost contributed the most to annual expenses, while shopping for groceries was the smallest part of living costs. In comparison, by 2022, leisure spending had become the least significant segment of the annual individual’s pursuit, and renting costs remain the most significant section of our living costs.
In 2012, Shopping groceries accounted for 9% of the annual expense of the typical single adult and saw a gradual increase to 13% over the following ten years. Meanwhile, transportation cost and rent spending experienced a dramatic rise, climbing to 24% and 36%, becoming the major cost among the spending items.
The proportion of the average single person’s leisure activity cost dropped notably from 28% to 8%. Similarly, health spending declined slightly from 21% to 19%.