History: Household spending in two years
The table below shows the average percentage of household income spent on five categories in one country in 2005 and 2025.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
| Category | 2005 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | 24% | 33% |
| Food | 22% | 15% |
| Transport | 14% | 13% |
| Leisure | 11% | 10% |
| Technology | 3% | 8% |
Approach: With tables, pick out the biggest changes and the largest and smallest values. You do not need to mention every number, but your selection should be accurate and representative.
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The table compares the average share of household income that was spent on housing, food, transport, leisure and technology in one country in 2005 and 2025.
Overall, housing was the largest expense in both years and became considerably more significant over the period, while the proportion spent on food fell markedly. Spending on technology, though still the smallest category, increased substantially.
In 2005, housing and food took up similar proportions of income, at 24% and 22% respectively. By 2025, however, the gap had widened dramatically: housing costs rose to a third of household income (33%), whereas food spending declined to 15%.
The share devoted to technology almost tripled, from 3% to 8%, making it the fastest-growing category in relative terms. In contrast, spending on transport and leisure changed very little, dropping by just one percentage point each, from 14% to 13% and from 11% to 10%.
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