The bar chart provides a detailed comparison of the proportions of income spent on five categories of goods and services in a European country between 1998 and 2008. Overall, spending on clothing and electronic goods saw substantial growth over the period, whereas expenditures on holidays, magazines, and cinema outings decreased considerably. Remarkably, the percentage of income allocated to dining out remained constant, highlighting its stability amidst changing spending patterns.
Focusing first on the categories with rising expenditures, the proportion of income spent on clothing surged from 12% in 1998 to 18% in 2008, representing one of the most notable increases. Similarly, spending on electronic goods rose from 16% to 20%, becoming the highest-spending category by the end of the period. This steady rise suggests a growing preference for material goods and technology during the decade.
Conversely, spending on holidays declined from 8% in 1998 to 5% in 2008, indicating a noticeable shift in recreational priorities. The most striking reduction, however, was observed in spending on magazines and cinema outings, which dropped from 6% each in 1998 to a mere 1% each by 2008, reflecting changing leisure habits and perhaps the increasing dominance of digital media.
Finally, dining out remained an exception, with 6% of income allocated to this category in both years. The stability of this expenditure highlights its enduring importance in people’s budgets, even as other categories underwent significant changes.