The two pie charts depict American consumer spending in money in terms of seven categories in 1966 and 1996 years.
Overall, although food was the leading category at the beginning of the period, it was later surpassed by cars. Meanwhile, spending on petrol, furniture, and books declined, becoming the least areas of expenditure.
In 1966, food represented the largest proportion of spending, accounting for 44%, but this figure fell significantly to just 14% by 1996. In contrast, spending on cars more than doubled over the period, rising from 23% to 45%, becoming the most dominant category by 1996. Expenditure on restaurants also saw a considerable rise, increasing from 7% to 14%, matching the amount spent on food by the end of the period.
Meanwhile, other categories experienced either modest growth or notable declines. Spending on computers increased noticeably from a negligible 1% in 1966 to 10% in 1996. However, books saw a significant decline, dropping from 6% to just 1%. Similarly, furniture fell from 10% to 8%, and petrol expenses slightly decreased from 9% to 7%, becoming one of the less prioritized categories in 1996.