The table illustrates consumer spending patterns across three categories in five countries during 2002.
Overall, Food/Drinks/Tobacco represented the largest expenditure category in all nations, with Turkey recording the highest proportion at 32.14%, followed by Ireland at 28.91%. In contrast, Sweden allocated the smallest percentage to this category at 15.77%, while Italy and Spain fell in the middle range with 16.36% and 18.80% respectively.
Regarding Clothing/Footwear, Italy demonstrated the highest spending at 9.00%, significantly exceeding other countries. Sweden recorded the lowest figure at 5.40%, whilst Ireland, Spain, and Turkey showed relatively similar percentages, ranging between 6.43% and 6.63%.
For Leisure/Education, expenditure remained notably low across all countries, with figures below 5%. Turkey allocated the highest proportion at 4.35%, followed by Sweden at 3.22% and Italy at 3.20%. Ireland and Spain demonstrated the least investment in this category, spending just 2.21% and 1.98% respectively.
The data reveals substantial variations in spending priorities, with essential items like food dominating household budgets whilst leisure and education received considerably less financial attention.
