The two pie charts illustrate how consumer spending patterns in a European country shifted between 1958 and 2008 across six categories. Overall, it is clear that while housing became the dominant expense by the end of the period, food consumption saw a dramatic reduction in its share of total expenditure.
In 1958, food was the primary expense, accounting for 32% of total sales, followed by housing at 22% and clothing at 18%. Entertainment and travel/transport represented 13% and 8% respectively, while luxury goods comprised the smallest portion at 7%. By 2008, the landscape had changed significantly. Housing expenditure increased by 10 percentage points to reach 32%, matching the original proportion of food spending. Conversely, food spending plummeted to 12%.
Other notable shifts include the rise of luxury goods and travel/transport, which both more than doubled to reach 17% each by 2008. In contrast, the proportion of income allocated to entertainment more than halved, falling from 13% to just 6%. Clothing remained relatively stable, experiencing only a minor decrease from 18% to 16% over the half-century period.