The table compares changes in the percentage of New Zealand families who owned various types of electronic goods between 1998 and 2002.
Overall, the chart reveals significant shifts in electronic goods ownership, with almost all figures of owning electronic devices experiencing an upward trajectory except for that of video recorders, witnessing a downward trend, and washing machines with no change registered over the entire time span. It is also noteworthy that washing machines were the most popular electronic equipment, while digital cameras remained the least popular option, despite a significant change throughout.
In detail, the most significant changes were observed in owning a cell phone, dishwasher, and digital camera. Starting with mobile phones, the proportion of household ownership increased from 20% in 1998 to 80% in 2002. Similarly, 18% of families in New Zealand had a dishwasher, which was followed by a marked rise of 55% in the last period. The least famous electronic device—digital camera—accounted for an initial 2% household usage, before increasing dramatically to 39% in 2002.
However, the proportion of households owning color TVs and computers showed the least pronounced changes. Almost twice as large a percentage of owning color TVs (95%) was recorded in 1998 compared to that of computers, making up 50% in 1998. After four years, the figures rose to 97% and 78%, respectively.
A completely different picture can be observed in the remaining electric goods, with the proportion of owning a video recorder witnessing a noticeable decrease from 75% in 1998 to 60% in 2002. Meanwhile, washing machines stood out as a dominant category, remaining stable during the examined period.