The bar chart compares the proportion of households owning different items in 2001 and 2008. In general, ownership of most items remained relatively stable. However, mobile phones, the internet, and dishwashers saw the most significant increases in household ownership. Noticeably, telephones were the only item that had higher ownership in 2001 than in 2008.
Telephones were the most popular item, owned by 95% of households in 2001 and 90% in 2008. In 2001, 80% of households had microwaves and 70% owned CD players; these figures rose to 90% in 2008, reflecting the increasing convenience they brought to daily life. Mobile phones were relatively rare in 2001, with only 20% of households owning one, but by 2008, ownership had surged to 80%, making them an essential item.
Similarly, home computer ownership doubled from 40% in 2001 to 80% in 2008. Clothes dryers showed only a small increase, from 60% to 70%. Internet showed the largest increase, rising sixfold from 10% in 2001 to 60% in 2008, while dishwashers also saw a substantial increase from 10% to 40% over the same period.