Household consumptions

In 2012 the average monthly household consumption expenditure, at current values, was 2,419 euros (with a -2.8% change in comparison with 2011). Taking into account the sampling error (0.6%) and the inflation rate dynamics (+3%), the expenditure diminish in real terms, too.

The median monthly expenditure was 2,078 euros; it is exactly the same value observed in 2011 as a consequence of a major decrease of expenditure for higher-level-expenditure households.

In comparison with 2011, the average expenditure on food and beverages is basically stable (468 euros per month), also due to the household saving strategy to cope with prices increase: the percentage of households that reduce foodstuffs quantity and/or quality increased (from 53.6% in 2011 to 62.3% in 2012) as well as the percentage of households buying in the hard discounts (from 10.5% to 12.3%).

Non-food expenditure decline by 3% and is once more under 2,000 euros per month: a decrease is observed for expenditures on clothing and footwear (-10.3%), on furnishing, equipment and housing services (-8.7%) and on recreation and culture (-5.4%). On the contrary, an increase by 3.9% was observed for expenditure on electricity, gas and other fuels.

The share of total consumption expenditure on food and beverages increased (from 19.2% to 19.4%) especially in the Central regions (from 18.4% to 19.3%), but the highest value is observed (25.3%) once again in the South and the Islands area .

Trentino-Alto Adige, in particular the Bolzano province, was the region showing the highest expenditure level (2,919 euros), followed by Lombardia (2,866 euros) and Veneto (2,835 euros). At the bottom of the ranking, once again, Sicilia with an average monthly expenditure of 1,628 euros, that is about 1,300 Euros less than that observed in Trentino-Alto Adige.