The table gives an overview of the proportion of national consumer expenditure by three categories in the year 2002.
Overall, food/drinks/tobacco were the most popular consumer goods in all five countries. In contrast, leisure and education were the least appealing choice.
While the category of clothing/footwear do not show a great discrepancy in its share of the total expenditure, ranging from 5.40 percent in Sweden to nine percent in Italy, the trend is different for food/drinks/tobacco. With 28.91%, Ireland nearly doubles Sweden in this regard, while Italy and Spain, whose rates are relatively similar, are outnumbered by Turkey, accounting for just above a third of the total consumer spending.
In terms of leisure and education, the five countries show little variance in the percentage of gross purchases, with Turkey leading at 4.35% and Spain at the bottom with 1.98%.
