The table compares the monthly expenditure of an average Australian family in 1991 and 2001, measured in Australian dollars.
Overall, total spending increased slightly over the period. Families spent more money on food, electricity and water, housing, and other goods and services in 2001, while expenditure on clothing and transport decreased.
In 1991, the highest amount of money was spent on other goods and services, at 250 dollars per month. This figure rose moderately to 270 dollars in 2001. Spending on food also increased slightly from 155 to 160 dollars. In addition, expenditure on housing went up from 95 to 100 dollars.
The most noticeable change was in electricity and water costs. Australian families spent 75 dollars on this category in 1991, and the figure increased significantly to 120 dollars in 2001. By contrast, spending on transport fell from 70 to 45 dollars. Similarly, expenditure on clothing decreased from 30 to 20 dollars over the same period.