Living Costs and Food Survey
Introduction, results and
developments
Giles Horsfield
Office for National Statistics
History of the survey
• Survey set up in 1941 to monitor nutrition in
London
• Expenditure survey every year since 1957
• Family Expenditure Survey and National Food
Survey merged in 2001 to form the Expenditure
and Food Survey (EFS)
• EFS becomes part of the Integrated Household
Survey (IHS) in 2008, and renamed the Living
Costs and Food (LCF) survey
Uses of Survey
• Retail Prices Index
• Consumer Prices Index
• Spending patterns of population
• Household expenditure for GDP
• Effect of taxes and benefits
• Food consumption and nutrition
LCF Data Collection Methods
Expenditure diary:
• Diary completed by each adult (£10
high street voucher incentive)
• Simplified diary for children aged 7-15
(£5 high voucher)
• Goods and services paid for during the
two week period following the interview
• Expenditure information entered into a
coding system by team of coders
LCF Questionnaire
LCF Questionnaire
4 main sections:
1. Demographics
2. Employment status
3. Expenditure - completed by the household
reference person (HRP) on behalf of the
household
4. Income- completed individually
Median interview completion time: 55 minutes
Response rate: 52% (2012)
Other survey developments:
• Removed from the IHS (April 2014)
• Returning to financial year reporting
• Reviewing COICOP: incorporating Eurostat and
UN amendments
• Continued questionnaire improvements
• Streamlining of datasets is ongoing
Annual publication- Family Spending
• 2013 edition included additional commentary in
main chapters
• No guest chapter, but short stories added
• Similar approach planned for 2014
• Rationalisation of technical material (reducing
duplication)
• Suggestions welcome
Family Spending: improving engagement
• Release included infographics, interactive graph,
and video
• Twitter Q&A conducted, supported by Facebook
status updates
• Improving web pages for:
Data users
Respondents
Headline figure 2012
• Average household weekly expenditure
was £489 in 2012. This compares with £484 in
2011 and £474 in 2010, at current prices.
• After adjusting to 2012 prices to account
for inflation:
£497 in 2011
£507 in 2010
Average weekly expenditure on main
commodities and services 2012
68
Housing, fuel & power
64
Transport
62
Recreation & culture
57
Food & non-alcoholic drinks
41
Restaurants & hotels
38
Miscellaneous goods & services
29
Household goods & services
23
Clothing & footwear
14
Communication
13
Alcoholic drinks, tobacco & narcotics
Education
7
Health
6
0.0
20.0
40.0
Expenditure (£)
Source: Living Costs and Food Survey, Office for National Statistics
60.0
Changes over time (percentage of total
expenditure)
Other expenditure items
Housing(net)1, fuel & power
Transport
Recreation & culture
Food & non-alcoholic drinks
Restaurants & hotels
2001/02
Miscellaneous goods and services
2012
Household goods & services
Clothing & footwear
Communication
Alcoholic drink, tobacco & narcotics
Education
Health
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Percentage of total expenditure
16
18
Spending over time, at 2012 prices
Total expenditure and expenditure on selected categories based on COICOP
classification, 2001-02 to 2012, at 2012 prices
United Kingdom
£ per week
200
540
180
520
Total expenditure
160
500
140
120
100
Transport
80
60
Housing (net), fuel & power
40
20
0
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06
2006
2007
Survey year
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Spending on housing, fuel and power
(COICOP definition), 2012
•
•
•
•
Net rent: £29.30 per week;
Electricity, gas and other fuels: £23.20;
Maintenance and repairs: £7.00;
Water supply and miscellaneous charges (such as
refuse collection): £8.40.
Note: averaged across all households
Housing-related costs (renters and
mortgage holders)
• £86 a week - average net rent paid by renters
– London £136
– Northern Ireland £41
• £139 a week - average mortgage payment by mortgage
holders
– London £213
– Wales £101
Spending on transport 2012
Transport
£64.10 a week
• Purchase of vehicles
£17.20 a week
New cars or vans
Second hand cars and vans
• Running costs of vehicles
Petrol, diesel and other motor oils
• Transport services
£4.70 a week
£11.90 a week
£36.40 a week
£24.70 a week
£10.50 a week
Expenditure by country and region 2010 - 2012
UK Average (3 years)
London
South East
East
South West
England
Northern Ireland
East Midlands
East Midlands
North West
North West
West Midlands
West Midlands
Scotland
Scotland
Yorks & the Humber
Yorks & the Humber
Wales
Wales
North East
-£80
-£60
-£40
-£20
North East
£0
£482
Source: Living Costs and Food Survey, Office for National Statistics
£20
£40
£60
£80
£100
Internet connection at home by household
composition, 2012
100
90
80
Percent
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Two
One
adult
adult
retired retired
One
One
adult adult ,
one
nonretired child
Source: Living Costs and Food Survey, Office for National Statistics
One
adult,
two or
more
children
Two
Two
adult adult ,
one
nonretired child
Two
adult,
two or
more
children
Highlights…..
•
Expenditure in 2012 was very similar to 2011 (without adjusting
for inflation).
•
After adjusting for inflation (at 2012 prices) average weekly
household expenditure has declined since 2001/2
•
After adjusting for inflation (at 2012 prices) average weekly
expenditure has increased on:
– Housing fuel and power
– Clothing and footwear
Average weekly expenditure has decreased on:
– Transport
– Household goods and services
Spending, adjusted to 2012 prices
• Housing, fuel and power:
£59.20 in 2001/2 to £68.00 in 2012
• Clothing and footwear:
£15.30 in 2001/2 to £23.40 in 2012
• Food and non alcoholic drink:
£59.90 in 2001/2 to £56.80 in 2012
• Transport:
£87.10 in 2001/2 to £64.10 in 2012
• Household goods and services:
£35.70 in 2001/2 to 28.50 in 2012
Spending – English Regions
• Households in London spent the most on
housing fuel and power compared to other
regions £91 (UK: £64)
• The South East spent the most on transport
compared to other regions £80 (UK: £65)
• Spending was lowest in households in the
North East £409 (UK: £482)
Home computer and internet connection at
home by income decile 2012
Percent
100
90
80
70
60
Lowest
Highest
50
40
30
20
10
0
Home computer
Source: Living Costs and Food Survey, Office for National Statistics
Internet connection