• 01Jun

    Spanish families spend a third of its budget on housing

    business, Economy, Finance, general, Global, Spanish families No Comments

    The average household spending fell 4.8% in 2009 over the previous year to 30,411 euros. Also, the average expenditure per person fell by 3.7% and stood at 11,365 per year. This is confirmed by the latest Household Budget Survey National Statistics Institute (INE).

    Expenditure on housing was 29.4% of the household budget, in which the rent includes all housing services and repairs, as well as in the case of home ownership or leased, the rental value to be paid in the market for a home similar to the occupied (imputed rent).

    By expenditure group, which presented a greater decrease in current terms were transport (-14.9%), articles of clothing and footwear (-8.3%), furniture, equipment and other housing costs (-6 , 0%) and hotels, cafes and restaurants (-4.8%). These four groups were the only ones who showed negative annual rates in 2008.

    Spending on leisure, entertainment and culture, and food and nonalcoholic beverages consumed at home declined by 4.4% and 4% respectively. For its part, housing, water, electricity and fuels (4.8%), alcohol and snuff (3.0%) and communications (0.1%) were the only groups showing positive rates in 2009.

    Who spends more and who less

    The regions with the highest average spending per person are, in descending order, the Basque Country (13,380 euros), Navarra (13,241 euros) and Madrid (13,220 euros).

    By contrast, Extremadura (9010 euros), Murcia (9447 euros) and the Canary (9474 euros) were the communities with the lowest expenditures per person. The average expenditure per person in the Basque Country was 17.7% higher than the national average, while that of Extremadura stood 20.7% below the average.

    The statistical study also noted a decrease over 2008 in all household types, except in households headed by people 65 or older, who present a positive trend since 2006. On the other hand, note that the households of families with children registered in 2009 an average cost lower than that presented in 2006.

    As in previous surveys, the highest spending per household will be recorded in the households of families with children (36,747 euros in 2009), followed by couples without children (28 767) and households headed by an adult with children (26 338). Households with less spending were the people who live alone, with mean values of 15,636 euros for people aged 65 or over and 20,837 for those under 65.