Household Bills
Households spend more dining out but cut back on booze and tobacco
Guest Author:
Paloma KubiakUK households spent more money on restaurants and hotels but cut back on alcohol and tobacco in the 2015/16 tax year, according to official statistics.
The Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) family spending in the UK report showed the average weekly household spending remained level at £528.90 in the 2015/16 tax years as in the previous year.
It found that UK households spent more than £45 a week on restaurants and hotels for the first time in five years while the average weekly spend on alcohol and tobacco fell below £12 for the first time.
Based on the average total household expenditure, £72.70 each week was spent on transport, with petrol and diesel being the main contributing factor, while housing came in second place with an average weekly spend of £72.50.
The least amount of money per week was spent on health and education and it found that low income households spent a higher proportion of money on food and energy compared with higher income households.
The ONS noted that amid falling consumer confidence, though an increase in employment levels to 74.2% in the first quarter, average weekly spending hasn’t returned to the pre-economic downturn levels of spending seen before 2007.
