Press Release 28/06/2023

FAMILY EXPENDITURE SURVEY. 2022

The average expenditure per household in the Basque Country exceeded 35,000 euros in 2022, 7.3% more than in 2021

The number of households that used the internet to make purchases increased, representing 41.3% of the Basque population

In current terms, the average expenditure per household stood at 35,445 euros in 2022, 7.3% more than the previous year, making it the highest figure in the entire data series, according to Eustat data.

By expenditure group, 10 of the 12 groups saw an upward trend in average household expenditures. In 2022, the greatest increase in average expenditure per household was recorded in Restaurants and hotels, with a rise of 32.9% compared to 2021, which translates into an average expenditure per household of 3,942 euros per year, based primarily on spending on Catering and canteens, which accounted for 85.6% of expenditure on this group, compared to 14.4% of expenditure on Accommodation services.

The expenditure group with the second highest growth was Education (18.0%), followed by Leisure and culture (12.3%), Transport (11.7%), Furniture and household items (8.9%), Healthcare (7.8%) and Food and non-alcoholic beverages (6.3%). Positive, albeit more moderate, variations were also recorded in the following groups: Clothing and footwear (2.4%), Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (2.0%) and Other goods and services (2.8%).

In contrast, the average household expenditures that decreased in relation to the previous year were

Alcoholic beverages and tobacco (-15.6%) and Communications (-1.7%), following the same trend as the year before.

Expenditure on Restaurants and hotels represented a larger proportion of the household budget, even surpassing the share it had in 2019, prior to the pandemic

As regards the pattern of expenditure, Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels continued to account for the highest spending by households in the Basque Country, given that 35.0% of their expenditure went on this group, equivalent to 12,411 euros per year per household in 2022. Of particular note in 2022 was the increase in the average expenditure per household on energy bills, owing to the 10.1% rise in spending on electricity and the 23.0% rise in spending on gas compared to 2021. Despite this, its weight in the household expenditure budget decreased by 1.8 percentage points in respect of 2021 and 3.4 points in respect of 2020, although it remained above the 34% it represented in 2019.

The proportion of expenditure on Food and non-alcoholic beverages stood just 0.2 percentage points below the 2021 figure, representing 15.5% in 2022. Between them, these groups accounted for half of the average household budget (50.5%), down from 52.5% in 2021 but up from 47.7% in 2019.

The weight of expenditure on Restaurants and hotels, however, continued to rise, reaching 11.1%, 2.1 points more than in 2021, even surpassing the 10.9% recorded in 2019, the year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, by 0.2 percentage points.

Total expenditure on consumption grew by 8.1% in 2022

In absolute terms, total expenditure on consumption reached 32,508 million euros in 2022, up 8.1% on 2021, with different trends in the various expenditure groups.

Looking at the two most significant groups in terms of volume of expenditure, spending on Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels and Food and non-alcoholic beverages increased compared to 2021, with year-on-year growth of 2.8% and 7.2%, respectively.

Total expenditure by Basque households on Restaurants and hotels stood at over 3,614 million euros, with growth of 34.0% in respect of 2021 and a higher level of spending than in 2019, also in absolute terms.

It was followed in terms of year-on-year growth by the expenditure groups Education, with year-on-year growth of 18.9%, and Leisure and culture, with a rise of 13.2% compared to 2021.

On the other hand, we can see that there was a 15.0% decrease in expenditure on Alcoholic beverages and tobacco in respect of the previous year, and a 0.9% decline in spending on Communications.

Households in Álava saw the greatest increase in average household expenditure

By province, families in Álava accounted for 15.1% of total consumption expenditure in the Basque Country in 2021, Bizkaia represented 52.1% of spending and Gipuzkoa 32.8%.

Households in Álava moved into second place out of the three provinces with regard to average expenditure per household with 35,981 euros, surpassing those in Bizkaia, with a 12.7% rise in average household expenditure in 2022, the highest of the three provinces, resulting in an average annual increase of 4,057 euros per household. This growth was primarily due to the rise in expenditure on Restaurants and hotels (35.1%), Education (32.0%) and Healthcare (26.4%), among others. The expenditures that decreased compared to 2021 were Alcoholic beverages and tobacco (-12.7%), Clothing and footwear (-8.5%) and Furniture and household items (-12.5%).

Households in Gipuzkoa registered the highest average expenditure per household (an average of 36,876 euros per year per household), 4.0% above the Basque Country average (35,455) and 7.9% up on the figure for 2021. This increase was mainly due to the rise in expenditure on Restaurants and hotels (46%), Education (13.0%) and Transport (12.8%). In contrast, there was a decline in average expenditures on Alcoholic beverages and tobacco (-11.0%), Furniture and household items (-6.7%) and Communications (-1.8%).

In Bizkaia, the average expenditure per household stood at 34,473 euros, 5.4% higher than in 2021, an increase in average expenditure per household of 1,778 euros per year. The greatest increase in expenditure was seen in the Restaurants and hotels group, with growth of 24.9% in respect of 2021, which translates into a rise in average expenditure per household on this group of 783 euros per year. The average household expenditure on Furniture and household items in Bizkaia also improved significantly compared to 2020 (23.4%), as did spending on Education, with an increase of 17.9%. On the other hand, the expenditure groups that decreased with regard to 2021 were Alcoholic beverages and tobacco (-18.9%), Communications (-3.4%), Other goods (-2.2%) and Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (-1.1%).

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Online expenditure grew by 4.2%, although the weight of the Clothing and footwear group fell by 15 percentage points

Online expenditure by households in the Basque Country continued to rise in 2022 and was up 4.2% compared to the previous year, reaching 1,499 million euros. Online expenditure accounted for 4.6% of total expenditure by Basque households in 2022, 0.2 points less than in 2021.

According to the pattern of expenditure on goods and services purchased online, the Restaurants and hotels group had the greatest weight in 2022, with 25.3%, mainly due to online purchases by Basque households of Accommodation services. It was followed by expenditure on Leisure and culture, with a weight of 21.2%; of particular relevance within this group was the purchase of Tour packages and Durables for recreation, sport and culture.

In third place was the Transport expenditure group, with a weight of 15.5%, primarily thanks to expenditure on Transport services.

In 2022, there was a sharp decline in Clothing and footwear purchased online, which went from representing 28.2% in 2021 to 13.2% in 2022.

The Food and non-alcoholic beverages group had a very similar structure to the previous year, accounting for 9.7% of total online spending.

As regards the trend in online expenditure, the percentage of households that made online purchases increased in 2022, representing 41.3% of all households in the Basque Country, although the average expenditure per household fell slightly, standing at 3,956 euros, a drop in household spending of 380 euros per year.

Consumption expenditure according to household characteristics

An analysis of household expenditure in the Basque Country, according to various classification variables for the household and its members, reveals a socio-economic interpretation of the data.

With regard to household size, 1 member households had an average expenditure per person of 23,137 euros in 2022, 53.2% above the average expenditure for the Basque Country (15,103 euros). Compared to the previous year, 1 member households saw their expenditure per person increase by 1,095 euros per year on average. 2 member households stood 18.9% above the average, with an average expenditure per person of 17,961 euros. In contrast, households with 3 members (13,162 euros) and 4 or more members (11,515 euros) were below average, with 12.9% and 23.8%, respectively.

According to main household income source, households whose main source of income was self-employment and income from property and capital registered the greatest average expenditure per household in 2022, with 40,879 euros per year, 15.2% higher than the Basque Country average, with a 12.5% rise in average expenditure compared to 2021, resulting in an increase in average expenditure per household of 4,544 euros per year. This was followed by households whose main source of income was employed work, with an average expenditure of 38,932 euros per household, up 8.9% on 2021. Lastly, households whose main source of income was pensions, benefits and other payments and regular income registered an average expenditure per household of 30,073 euros, 13.2% below the Basque Country average.

With regard to household expenditure according to the situation arising from the activity of the primary breadwinner, in households where the primary breadwinner was active in 2022, the average household expenditure stood at 37,455 euros, 7.8% higher than in 2021 and 5.6% above the average for the Basque Country. By contrast, in households where the primary breadwinner was inactive, the average expenditure was 32,332 euros, 8.8% below the average, but with an increase of 7.2% in respect of the previous year.

Note: The survey on family expenditure is carried out in collaboration with the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE) in the Autonomous Region of the Basque Country.

For further information:

Euskal Estatistika-Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.es Tel.: 945 01 75 62