Press Release 18/12/2012

FAMILY EXPENDITURE STATISTICS 2011

Average expenditure per household in the Basque Country in 2011 stood at 33,888 euros, very similar to the previous year.

The average expenditure per individual stood at 13,774 euros

Average expenditure per household saw growth of 2.8% from the year 2006, and reached its maximum in the 2008 period with 34,210 euros per household. In 2011 the average household expenditure stood at 33,888 euros with scarcely any growth with regards to the previous year (0.8%), in accordance with the Statistics on Family Expenditure that Eustat has been compiling since 2006, in collaboration with the Spanish National Statistics Institute.

In 2011 the average expenditure per person stood at 13,774 euros, with an increase in current euros of 1.0% compared to the previous year. This figure was the highest in the period analysed (2006-2011).

If we focus on the structure of expenditure, the three main expenditure groups were “Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels”with 4.6% of total expenditure, followed by“Food and non-alcoholic beverages” with 14.0% and expenditure on “Hotels, cafés and restaurants” with 9.7%. Following these were “Transport” (9.6%), “Other goods and services” (7.1%) and “Leisure, entertainment and culture” (5.7%).

Growth in total expenditure in 2011 with regards to the previous year stood at 0.8%, with each group registering different evolutions. Thus, the two most significant groups in order of expenditure, “Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels” and “Food and non-alcoholic beverages” experienced growth of 6.1% and 3.0% respectively. The level of total expenditure for the “Hotels, cafés and restaurants” group, however, dropped by 3.4%.

The most significant decrease was produced in “Clothes & Footwear” with an expenditure situated at 1,536 million euros (10.3% down on the previous year).

If we look at the average household expenditure according to the level of net monthly household income the difference in annual expenditure amongst households with lower and higher income stood at 166.9%.

Thus, in households with a monthly income below 1,000 euros there was an average annual expenditure per household of 18,650 euros, whilst households with a monthly income of 3,000 euros or more generated an annual expenditure of 49,772 euros.

If we analyse the evolution in comparison to 2010, it was only households with lower monthly incomes (up to 999 euros) that saw an increase in the average level of expenditure per household, 4.5%. In the remaining households there was a decrease in the average household expenditure, with the fall more pronounced (5.5%) in households with incomes that varied between 2,000 and 2,999 euros.

If we observe expenditure according to the geographical location of the family, the largest average household expenditure was produced in municipalities of fewer than 10,000 inhabitants, with an expenditure of 35,676 euros per household, 5.3% above the average for the Autonomous Region. The lowest average expenditure per household (€33,129) was produced in households situated in municipalities of 100,000 or more inhabitants.

For further information:

Basque Statistics Institute C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Tel:+34-945-01 75 00 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01 E-mail: eustat@eustat.eus Contact: Marta Salvador Frias Tel:+34-945-01 75 02 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01 Further press releases on the Internet: www.eustat.eus Databank: www.eustat.eus/bancopx/english/indice.aspx