The given line graph depicts the changes in the percentage of consumer spending across five categories in a European country over the course of four decades. starting from 1960.
Overall, spending on food started as the most dominant category but saw a marked decline over the period. In contrast, transport was the only category that experienced a consistent increase in expenditure. Meanwhile, the proportions spent on leisure, clothing, and energy decreased steadily.
In 1960, food accounted for the largest share of expenditure, standing at approximately 33%. This figure was more than three times higher than the amount spent on clothing, which made up about 10%. Leisure followed at around 20%, while transport and energy constituted the smallest shares, at roughly 9% and 5%, respectively.
Subsequently, transport expenditure showed a steady upward trend, increasing to approximately 15% in 2000, making it the first-largest spending category. Conversely, spending on food declined significantly, decreasing to around 13%. A similar downward trend was seen in leisure and clothing, with their proportions falling to about 12% and 5%, respectively. Energy experienced the sharpest relative decline, dropping from 5% to just 2% by the end of the period.