HOUSEHOLD spending is growing slowly but is still considerably lower than early in the century, says the Office of National Statistics (ONS), in its Family Spending 2014 Edition.
Across the UK, families’ spending averages out at £517.30 a week. It’s an increase on 2012, when the figure was £501, but well below 2001 when households were spending £535.30.
Scotland is one of the lowest-spending parts of the UK, with a household average of £449 over the last three years. That compares to a UK average over the same period of £496.70.
Food and non-alcoholic drinks spending in Scotland sits below the UK norm, with Scots families paying £54.80 a week for groceries. Expenditure on fresh fruit, at £2.80, is well below the UK rate of £3.20. And the average fresh vegetable spend (excluding potatoes) of £3.20 is £1 below the UK figure.
Average weekly family spending in Scotland in 2013 on what ONS calls “alcohol, tobacco and narcotics” was £14.90. That was made up of £8.10 on alcohol to drink at home, £6 on cigarettes (compared to a UK average of £3.80) and 80p on “cigars, other tobacco products and narcotics”.
The long-term figures show total household spending hitting a peak in 2006, dropping slightly over the next couple of years then falling noticeably after 2008 as the recession hit. Spending on utilities and rent increased from £61.70 in 2001/2, to £74.40 in 2013, after adjusting for inflation.
