The bar chart illustrates how families in one country allocated their weekly income across different categories in 1968 and 2018.
Overall, it is clear that spending habits changed significantly over the period shown. In 1968, food accounted for the largest share of weekly income, while by 2018 this figure had decreased considerably. In contrast, expenditure on housing, transport and leisure increased.
In 1968, families spent about 35% of their weekly income on food. Housing and clothing each made up around 10%. Spending on fuel and power, household goods and personal goods was similar, ranging between 6% and 9%. Leisure and transport were among the smallest categories, at approximately 8% each.
By 2018, the proportion spent on food had fallen to roughly 17%. Meanwhile, housing rose to about 19%, and leisure became the largest expense at just over 20%. Transport also increased to around 14%, while spending on clothing and other goods declined.
