Statistics in Focus: Population and social conditions. HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION IN 1994.

Abstract

Household consumption as presented here is estimated on the basis of the "Household Budget Surveys". At the time of publication of this document all the data were not yet available, but the initial results deserved to be published right away. The study covers 8 countries situated in both the north (Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden) and the south (Greece, Spain, Italy) of the European Union which together account for about 40% of its population. Households' disposable income is the key to their level of consumption and budgetary choices; consumer habits are also markedly different in components such as food and leisure. Consumption also varies according to household categories. Thus, people over 60 years of age tend to give priority to essential goods over more "superfluous" expenditure