Agerpres: Alcoholic Drinks and Tobacco Made Up 7.7 per cent of Total Household Costs in 2014

Foodstuffs and non-alcoholic beverages averaged 40 per cent of the consumption of households in 2014, while spending for alcoholic beverages and tobacco averaged 7.7 per cent, shows information published by the National Statistics Institute (INS) at the request of Agerpres.

Market in Bucharest.

"Costs regarding the household are allotted 21.2 per cent of consumption costs, with the largest part of them being made up of consumption of utilities necessary for the running and heating of the household (water, electric and thermal energy, natural gas and other fuels), which are largely necessary for households (17.2 per cent)", the INS informs.

According to the institution, the costs involved in fitting and maintaining the household make up a far lower amount, namely 4 per cent.

"The next in the order determined by the volume of resources allocated were the costs for alcoholic beverages and tobacco (7.7 per cent) and transportation costs (6.2 per cent). The costs incurred on households for healthcare and especially for education record a low level, especially due to the fact that satisfying these needs of the members of the household is done mainly through public services which they benefit through the social insurance system or for free", the information shows (read more on Agerpres).

Percentage of weekly household expenditure going on alcoholic drink, tobacco and narcotics in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2013, by disposable income decile group, was between 3.6 per cent (the lowest decile) and 1.7 per cent (the highest decile) (source).

Households in New Zealand spent over twice as much of their total expenditure on cigarettes and tobacco 40 years ago as we do today, according to 2013 HES results (source).