Consumer behaviour in 2011 – For some modest households, coping with food expenditure becoming more difficult

Between 2005 and 2011, the average structure of consumption was stable, despite the scale of the economic shocks that occurred during the period. The differences in consumption levels between households changed little. The wealthiest 20% of households consume 2.5 times more than the most modest 20% of households. The oldest households are smaller in size and consume less than average, although the gap has narrowed significantly since 2005. Differences in consumption structure between households have eased a little, except for food. For some of the poorest households, coping with spending on food has become more difficult.