Headline evidence · What households spend · UK · April 2024 to March 2025
Food, housing and energy take 40.9% of the lowest-income fifth’s spending
Across all households, the share is 28.4%. These are shares of survey-reported spending, not income. Housing here excludes mortgage payments and Council Tax.
- Geography
- United Kingdom
- Evidence period
- April 2024 to March 2025
- Evidence status
- Survey-based
- Editorial review
- Reviewed 14 October 2026
The short version
Survey-based evidence
April 2024 to March 2025 · UK · share of total household spending.
- Under £24,80040.9%
- £24,800 to £35,60035.4%
- £35,600 to £46,90030.9%
- £46,900 to £64,20026.4%
- Over £64,20020.2%
This does not mean higher-income households spend less in pounds. It compares the share of their spending.
See the figures and sample sizesShow the workings
Food and non-alcoholic drinks plus housing (net), fuel and power, divided by total expenditure. This is a limited “essentials” measure: it excludes transport, childcare and other necessary spending. Mortgage payments and Council Tax are excluded from this housing category. The denominator includes other expenditure, including mortgage interest and Council Tax.
Income groups allow for household size and ages, using the updated two-adult reference. The spending amounts themselves are per household. Shares compare weighted mean amounts; they are not the average of each household’s own share.
| Income a year (couple) | Food | Housing, fuel, power | Total | Combined share | Sample households |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under £24,800 | £61.80 | £104.70 | £407.30 | 40.9% | ≈970 |
| £24,800 to £35,600 | £67.70 | £113.10 | £511.40 | 35.4% | ≈1,010 |
| £35,600 to £46,900 | £74.70 | £123.80 | £641.40 | 30.9% | ≈1,040 |
| £46,900 to £64,200 | £78.80 | £116.70 | £739.70 | 26.4% | ≈1,030 |
| Over £64,200 | £85.50 | £133.70 | £1,083.60 | 20.2% | ≈940 |
| All households | £73.70 | £118.40 | £676.60 | 28.4% | ≈5,000 |
Sample survey estimates are affected by sampling and non-response. Small differences may be noise. No significance test is claimed. The displayed broad groups are published by ONS; no small microdata cells were calculated. Separately rounded categories may not add exactly to the published total.
Original workbook: tables 3.1E5, 3.2E5 and A1 · Definition and method · Download all aggregate data (JSON)
The evidence
A bigger share does not mean a bigger bill
Higher-income households spend more pounds on food, housing and energy together, but those costs take a smaller share of their spending.
UK · April 2024 to March 2025 · pounds per household per week.
Survey-based evidence
- Lowest income fifth£166.50
- Second fifth£180.80
- Middle fifth£198.50
- Fourth fifth£195.50
- Highest income fifth£219.20
Housing excludes mortgage payments and Council Tax. The amounts are household averages, not prices for the same shopping basket.
Figures and sample sizesWhere the money goes
Average weekly household spending: £676.60. These are reported purchases and payments, not a suggested household budget.
Survey-based evidence
- Housing (net), fuel & power£118.40
- Transport£96.40
- Other expenditure items£94.10
- Recreation & culture£82.10
- Food & non-alcoholic drinks£73.70
- Miscellaneous goods & services£49.80
- Restaurants & hotels£49.20
- Household goods & services£40.60
- Communication£22.40
- Clothing & footwear£18.00
- Health£11.90
- Alcoholic drink, tobacco & narcotics£11.30
- Education£8.70
Current prices for the stated year; no inflation adjustment has been applied.
How the spending mix has changed
Food, housing and travel are three large parts of household spending. This shows their share of the total, not how much people bought.
UK · 2001–02 to 2024–25. Gaps mark changes in the survey or the years covered; do not read across them as a continuous trend.
Survey-based evidence
Years, figures and breaks
Housing excludes mortgage payments and Council Tax. Shares use each year’s prices. Calendar years and financial years are identified separately; overlapping versions of 2006 and 2014 are omitted. Changes to weights or questions can affect the total and therefore every share.
| Period | Food | Housing and energy | Transport | Sample households | Break before this period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-02 | 10.5% | 9.0% | 14.5% | 7,470 | — |
| 2002-03 | 10.5% | 9.1% | 14.6% | 6,930 | — |
| 2003-04 | 10.4% | 9.3% | 14.5% | 7,050 | — |
| 2004-05 | 10.3% | 9.3% | 13.7% | 6,800 | — |
| 2005-06 | 10.2% | 10.0% | 13.9% | 6,790 | — |
| 2006 | 10.3% | 10.6% | 13.5% | 6,650 | Updated population/non-response weights and mortgage-capital correction; old 2006 column omitted. |
| 2007 | 10.5% | 11.3% | 13.4% | 6,140 | — |
| 2008 | 10.8% | 11.3% | 13.5% | 5,850 | — |
| 2009 | 11.5% | 12.6% | 12.8% | 5,830 | — |
| 2010 | 11.2% | 12.8% | 13.7% | 5,260 | — |
| 2011 | 11.3% | 13.1% | 13.6% | 5,690 | — |
| 2012 | 11.6% | 13.9% | 13.1% | 5,600 | — |
| 2013 | 11.4% | 14.4% | 13.6% | 5,140 | — |
| 2014-15 | 11.1% | 13.8% | 13.9% | 5,170 | Calendar years change to financial years; overlapping calendar 2014 omitted. |
| 2015-16 | 10.7% | 13.7% | 13.7% | 4,920 | — |
| 2016-17 | 10.5% | 13.1% | 14.4% | 5,040 | — |
| 2017-18 | 10.6% | 13.2% | 14.1% | 5,410 | — |
| 2018-19 | 10.5% | 13.4% | 14.4% | 5,480 | Communication questionnaire changed; total-spending denominator affected. |
| 2019-20 | 10.8% | 14.1% | 13.9% | 5,440 | — |
| 2020-21 | 14.4% | 17.6% | 12.6% | 5,400 | Pandemic collection and tenure-weighting change. |
| 2021-22 | 11.8% | 16.6% | 14.1% | 5,630 | — |
| 2022-23 | 11.2% | 18.6% | 14.0% | 4,460 | Household Finances Survey weighting introduced. |
| 2023-24 | 11.3% | 18.2% | 14.2% | 4,210 | Census 2021 population and non-response weights introduced. |
| 2024-25 | 10.9% | 17.5% | 14.2% | 5,000 | — |
What goes into the food shop?
Households spent an average of £73.70 a week on food and soft drinks for home. Eating out is separate.
UK · April 2024 to March 2025. The eight largest detailed categories are shown below.
Survey-based evidence
- Other meats and meat preparations£7.80
- Bread, rice and cereals£6.40
- Buns, cakes, biscuits etc.£5.00
- Fresh vegetables£4.90
- Fresh fruit£4.40
- Other food products£3.50
- Fish and fish products£3.10
- Other milk products and yoghurt£2.90
All food categories and uncertainty
These averages include households buying none of an item. The overall sample is about 5,000 households; the purchase counts below are not the denominator. The relative standard error describes sampling uncertainty as a percentage of the estimate, not price change. Smaller categories are less precise.
| Category | Weekly spending | Households recording purchases | Relative standard error (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, rice and cereals | £6.40 | 4,770 | 1.2 |
| Pasta products | £0.60 | 2,040 | 3.4 |
| Buns, cakes, biscuits etc. | £5.00 | 4,440 | 1.7 |
| Pastry (savoury) | £1.10 | 1,940 | 2.7 |
| Beef (fresh, chilled or frozen) | £2.30 | 2,050 | 3.4 |
| Pork (fresh, chilled or frozen) | £0.60 | 850 | 4.7 |
| Lamb (fresh, chilled or frozen) | £0.60 | 410 | 8.3 |
| Poultry (fresh, chilled or frozen) | £2.80 | 2,580 | 2.6 |
| Bacon and ham | £0.80 | 1,810 | 3.2 |
| Other meats and meat preparations | £7.80 | 4,270 | 1.6 |
| Fish and fish products | £3.10 | 3,100 | 2.6 |
| Milk | £2.20 | 4,130 | 1.9 |
| Cheese and curd | £2.70 | 3,550 | 2.1 |
| Eggs | £1.20 | 2,950 | 2.2 |
| Other milk products and yoghurt | £2.90 | 3,950 | 1.8 |
| Butter | £0.60 | 1,480 | 3.5 |
| Margarine, other vegetable fats and peanut butter | £0.60 | 1,900 | 2.8 |
| Cooking oils and fats | £0.60 | 1,050 | 5.0 |
| Fresh fruit | £4.40 | 4,230 | 2.0 |
| Other fresh, chilled or frozen fruits | £0.60 | 1,540 | 4.3 |
| Dried fruit and nuts | £1.10 | 1,880 | 4.0 |
| Preserved fruit and fruit based products | £0.10 | 660 | 7.2 |
| Fresh vegetables | £4.90 | 4,470 | 1.8 |
| Dried vegetables | £0.10 | 270 | 9.8 |
| Other preserved or processed vegetables | £2.20 | 3,710 | 2.6 |
| Potatoes | £0.70 | 2,780 | 2.1 |
| Other tubers and products of tuber vegetables | £2.30 | 3,670 | 1.8 |
| Sugar and sugar products | £0.40 | 1,360 | 3.7 |
| Jams, marmalades | £0.30 | 1,200 | 4.4 |
| Chocolate | £2.70 | 3,190 | 2.8 |
| Confectionery products | £1.00 | 2,210 | 3.2 |
| Edible ices and ice cream | £0.90 | 1,640 | 3.7 |
| Other food products | £3.50 | 4,080 | 2.4 |
| Coffee | £1.20 | 1,730 | 4.0 |
| Tea | £0.60 | 1,300 | 4.9 |
| Cocoa and powdered chocolate | £0.10 | 290 | 9.9 |
| Fruit and vegetable juices | £1.20 | 2,440 | 2.8 |
| Mineral or spring waters | £0.50 | 1,060 | 5.9 |
| Soft drinks (inc. fizzy and ready to drink fruit drinks) | £2.80 | 2,960 | 3.0 |
Why it is happening
Spending can change because prices change, people buy different amounts, or they switch what they buy. These figures do not separate those effects. They cannot tell us whether households chose to spend less or had to go without.
Who is affected most
Lower-income households devote a greater share of recorded spending to food, housing and energy. That leaves a smaller share for everything else. Household size, age and whether someone rents or owns also matter; this comparison does not isolate their effects.
Different households have different bills
One person’s spending is not directly comparable with a family’s. These are average weekly totals for selected household types, not a ranking of how well people live.
UK · April 2024 to March 2025 · pounds per household per week.
Survey-based evidence
- One retired person: mainly state pension£271.30
- One retired person: other income£343.30
- Two retired adults: other income£691.40
- One non-retired adult£446.90
- Two non-retired adults£787.30
- Two adults, one child£795.80
- Two adults, two children£883.20
- Three or more adults, no children£882.10
Some groups have small samples. Treat differences cautiously; these figures do not prove that household type causes higher spending.
All 13 household types and sample sizes
| Household type | Weekly total | Food | Housing and energy | Sample households |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One retired person: mainly state pension | £271.30 | £38.90 | £64.30 | 160 |
| Two retired adults: mainly state pension | £498.10 | £73.50 | £86.00 | 90 |
| One retired person: other income | £343.30 | £40.60 | £72.40 | 500 |
| Two retired adults: other income | £691.40 | £79.50 | £79.40 | 620 |
| One non-retired adult | £446.90 | £40.30 | £114.00 | 880 |
| Two non-retired adults | £787.30 | £73.20 | £132.50 | 1,130 |
| One adult, one child | £502.30 | £55.00 | £144.40 | 100 |
| One adult, two or more children | £546.10 | £69.40 | £143.80 | 100 |
| Two adults, one child | £795.80 | £81.60 | £126.30 | 350 |
| Two adults, two children | £883.20 | £98.30 | £119.80 | 390 |
| Two adults, three or more children | £758.60 | £119.60 | £159.50 | 140 |
| Three or more adults, no children | £882.10 | £110.10 | £160.90 | 380 |
| Three or more adults, with children | £1,026.10 | £125.60 | £136.40 | 170 |
“Mainly state pension” and “other retired” are separate published groups. Spending includes households reporting no purchases. Suppressed detailed cells have not been reconstructed.
Source: workbook 2, table A23What is not covered yet?
A comparable history back to 1968 is not ready. Older survey categories cannot simply be joined to the current categories. The requested historical dataset has not been analysed here.
Hampshire comparisons are not included. Regional and smaller household groups need their own sample and uncertainty checks. This page does not claim a Hampshire estimate from UK averages.
What could change
Which changes would ease pressure on household budgets?
The combined effect of existing proposals on household spending has not yet been assessed.
Existing housing, energy and income proposals are assessed on their own pages. Their effect on these spending shares has not been calculated, so this page assigns no savings or delivery dates.
Help and rights
These links can help with an individual situation. They do not resolve the wider pressures described above.
- Check possible benefit entitlement
These independent calculators estimate possible support. Check their exclusions; an estimate is not a benefit award.
Domain SWOT
Under appraisalNo SWOT has been recorded for this topic yet.
The combined effect of existing proposals on household spending has not yet been assessed. This page describes what households spend. It is outside the national action plan until options for easing budget pressure are assessed.
Domain action plan
Under appraisalNo domain action plan has been published for this topic yet.
The combined effect of existing proposals on household spending has not yet been assessed. This page describes what households spend. It is outside the national action plan until options for easing budget pressure are assessed.
Sources, method and changes
Sources, checks and limitations
Living Costs and Food Survey, April 2024 to March 2025. ONS Family spending workbook 1, released 2026-06-11. Tables 3.1E5 and 3.2E5 use the updated income grouping. Published aggregate tables were used; no safeguarded respondent records were processed.
Workbook and release details. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Agent review checked the calculations and compared the category amounts with table A1, plus the all-household, lowest- and highest-income totals with the ONS bulletin. These are consistency checks, not independent statistical assurance.
The proposed long-run research would use the Family Expenditure Survey and its successors. It remains separate until category and survey breaks are established. The chart above uses published tables from 2001–02 onwards, with breaks marked. No UKDS-derived figure is claimed here.
Corrections & changes
14 October 2026: added cash comparisons, spending history, household types and food detail from published aggregate tables. Not approved or deployed to production.