U.K. Household Average Spending Increased in 2010, ONS Says

Nov. 29 (Bloomberg) -- U.K. household spending rose in 2010 from a year earlier as Britain recovered from the worst recession since World War II.

Average weekly expenditure per household rose to 473.60 pounds ($737.30) from 455 pounds in 2009, the Office for National Statistics said today in London. Total expenditure per household, adjusted to 2010 prices, fell from 476 pounds in 2009.

Spending was highest on transport at 64.90 pounds per week, an 11 percent increase from the previous year. More than half of all transport spending was on running costs which rose by 14 percent or 4 pounds as petrol, diesel and other motor oils increased by 2.40 pounds.

“The increase was manifested in those necessary items of fuel, rent and food and non-alcoholic drinks,” said Giles Horsfield, a statistician at the ONS. “This contrasts with categories like recreation and culture where there was very steady expenditure between the two years.”

The data are from the statistics offices’ Family Spending survey, which questioned 5,260 U.K. households. Inflation- adjusted data refer to the retail-price index, a cost of living measure used in wage bargaining.

--Editors: Tim Farrand, Peter Woodifield

To contact the reporter on this story: Katie Linsell in London at klinsell@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Colin Keatinge at ckeatinge@bloomberg.net