The bar chart shows the percentage of households in one country that owned eight different types of goods in 2001 and 2008.
Overall, ownership of all items increased over the period. The most noticeable growth was seen in modern technology such as mobile phones and Internet access, while traditional items like telephones and microwaves were already widely used and changed only slightly.
In 2001, telephones were the most common item, with about 95% of households owning one. Microwaves were also popular, at around 80%, followed by CD players at roughly 70%. By 2008, ownership of these items had risen a little, with telephones remaining at a high level and both microwaves and CD players reaching close to 90%.
Much larger increases occurred in newer technologies. Mobile phone ownership rose sharply from about 25% in 2001 to around 80% in 2008. Similarly, the percentage of households with a home computer increased from roughly 35% to about 65%. Internet access showed the fastest growth, rising from only 10% of homes in 2001 to approximately 60% seven years later.
In addition, the ownership of clothes dryers increased slightly, while dishwashers became more common, although they remained the least owned item by 2008.