The table compares the prevalence of various electronic products in New Zealand households over two years, 2002 and 2020.
Overall, what is notable from the statistics is that except for video recorders, almost all items saw upward trends in ownership, with cell phones witnessing the most significant increase. Among these categories, color televisions and washing machines were by far the most popular in both years.
In 2002, washing machines were the most widely owned electronic item, present in 97% of households, closely followed by color TV, at 95%. The percentage of households owning video recorders was 75%, surpassing the figures for computers and dishwashers by 25% and 30% in that order. Meanwhile, cell phones were found in just 20% of homes, while digital cameras were possessed by a mere 2%.
After 18 years, color televisions had reached near-universal levels, marginally exceeding washing machines to become the most ubiquitous household item, with ownership rates of 99% and 98% respectively. The most noticeable growth was observed in mobile phone ownership, which surged to 80% – a fourfold increase. Similarly, the prevalence of computers, dishwashers , and digital cameras rose, although less dramatically, to 78%, 55%, and 40%, correspondingly. In contrast, video recorder was the only category that experienced a downward trend, dropping moderately by 15% to 60%.