The line graph shows the changes in the average price of 3 different electronic devices between 2020 and 2026, while the accompanying bar graph illustrates the distribution of payment methods used by four different age groups when purchasing these devices in 2020.
Overall, laptop prices increased steadily and remained the highest throughout the period, whereas the cost of televisions declined gradually. In addition, outright purchases were most common among the oldest age group, while payment plans were the most popular among younger consumers.
Looking first at the average costs, the laptop increased gradually from around $2,000 in 2020 to approximately $2,500 in 2026. By contrast, the price of televisions fell consistently, dropping from about $1,500 to $1,000 during the same period. Mobile phones, on the other hand, experienced a moderate rise, climbing slightly from $roughly $1,300 to around $1,450, and remained cheaper than laptops but more expensive than televisions by the end of the period.
Concerning payment methods in 2020, clear age-related patterns can be observed. Among 18-25 year-olds, other payment methods were the most common at around 40%, followed by payment plans at approximately 38%, while outright purchases accounted for the smallest share, about 23%. In the 26-39 age group, outright buying became more popular, representing roughly 45%, compared with around 33% for payment plans and about 22% for other methods.
For those aged 40-59, outright purchases continued to dominate at approximately 57%, while payment plans accounted for just over 35%, and other methods were used only about 10%. Finally, this trend was strongest among people aged 60 and above, where outright purchases made up nearly 78%, far exceeding payment plans at roughly 20%, with other payment methods remaining negligible.