The two pie charts illustrate how American citizens allocated their spending across seven categories in 1966 and 1996.
Overall, there were significant changes in spending priorities over the 30-year period. In 1966, food dominated household expenses, whereas by 1996, cars had become the largest expendture. Meanwhile, spending on new technology such as computers increased noticeably.
In 1966, Americans spent nearly half of their budget on food (44%), making it by far the biggest category. Cars accounted for 23%, followed by petrol at 9%, and restaurants at 7%. Expenditure on furniture was 10%, while computers and books represented only 1% and 6% respectively.
By contrast in 1996, car expenses rose dramatically to 45%, becoming the largest spending category. Conversely, the proportion spent on food dropped sharply to 14%, a considerable decline compared to 1966. Restaurant spending doubled from 7% to 14%, suggesting a shift toward eating out more frequently. Expenditure on computers also increased significantly from 1% to 10%, reflecting technological advancement during this period. Petrol experienced a slight decrease from 9% to 8%, and furniture dropped to 8%. Books remained the smallest category at just 1%.