The two pie charts compare the proportion of spending by citizens in a specific European nation on six different categories in 1958 and 2008.
Overall, the most significant change over the 50-year period was the dramatic decline in expenditure on food and the substantial increase in housing costs. While food was the primary expense in 1958, housing became the dominant category by 2008. Additionally, people began to allocate more of their budget to luxury goods and travel.
Detailed Analysis
In 1958, food accounted for the largest share of total spending at 32%, but this figure plummeted to just 12% by 2008. Conversely, housing costs rose steadily from 22% to become the largest expenditure at 32%. Spending on clothing remained relatively stable, seeing only a minor decrease from 18% to 16%.
The allocation for travel/transport and luxury goods saw significant growth, with both categories increasing from 8% and 7% respectively in 1958 to an identical 17% in 2008. In contrast, the proportion of money spent on entertainment more than halved, dropping from 13% in the initial year to only 6% at the end of the period.