Band 8+: The charts below show the proportion of expenditure by students, on average, at one university, in 2000 and 2010. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The charts illustrate the proportion of expenditure by students, on average, at a university in 2000 and 2010.

Overall, it can be clearly seen that food and drink at home remained the largest category, while utilities increased noticeably. In contrast, spending on clothing declined sharply.

In 2000, the biggest proportion was spent on food and drink prepared at home, at 29%. Utilities accounted for 21%, while sports and cultural activities made up 17%. Clothing was also a significant category, at 16%. By contrast, eating out and holidays represented only small shares, at 4% and 5% respectively.

Turning to 2010, the share of home food remained unchanged at 29%. Utilities, however, rose to 27%, becoming the second largest category. Spending on sports and cultural activities stayed stable at 17%. On the other hand, clothing dropped dramatically to just 5%. Eating out doubled to 8%, while holidays and transport showed only slight changes, at 5% and 9% respectively.