Household expenditure increased 7.8 per cent

Private households spent an average of NOK 395,000 per year on expenditure in the period 2007-2009; a real increase of 7.8 per cent compared with the period 2004-2006.

Due to small yearly samples, it is only possible to publish results from the survey for groups of households when samples for three years are combined.

Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuel made up the largest expenditure item. The average household spent NOK 123,000 per year on this item in the period. This amounts to 31 per cent of the total spending.

The share of total expenditure spent on transport appears to have stabilised. In the 2007-2009 period, transport amounted to more than one-sixth of household spending, at NOK 65,000.

The third largest item of household spending was recreation and culture, at NOK 49 000, with a share of 13 per cent in the period.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages comprised on average NOK 47,000 per household per year or 12 per cent in the period 2007-2009.

The share of spending on clothing and footwear has been stable over the past years. The average household spent NOK 21,000 or 5 per cent of the total spending, on clothing and footwear per year in the period.

Furniture and household equipment made up 6 per cent of spending on average. Average household spending was stable at NOK 23,000.

Private expenditure on health care was NOK 10,000 or 3 per cent of spending per year in the period.

Spending on communication (postage and telephone services) comprised 2 per cent of expenditure or NOK 8,000 per year for the average household.

Education was a small expenditure item for the average household. In the period 2007-2009, the average household spent NOK 900 or 0.2 per cent of the total spending on education.

Source: Statistics Norway