Overall, it is evident that students spent most of their expenditure on food and drink in both surveyed years, whereas the opposite was true for holidays and eating out in 2000. Notably, holidays and clothing shared the same trend in the remaining year.
In 2000, most students allocated their money to basic needs at home, such as food and beverage, which was 29%, the highest figure recorded. Followed by utilities, which was 21%. Clothing, sports and culture experienced a similar pattern, which was roughly 17% each. Conversely, the remaining segments, including transport, holidays, and eating out were spent under 10% of the students’ expenditures, at 8%, 5%, and 4%, respectively.
Ten years later, these figures witnessed a notable upward and downward trajectory, except for food and drink, which remained unchanged. Despite that, this category was still the top priority of university students. Utilities, in contrast, witnessed a considerable increase to 27% in 2010. Holidays, sports and culture remained the same as in 2000, which were 5% and 17%, respectively. Meanwhile, the figure for clothing declined sharply to 5%, less than one-third of that a decade ago. Eating out and transportation underwent a moderate rise, culminating in 9% and 8% by the end of the time frame.