What do we spend money on?

An average household spent more than €35 thousand in 2020. One third of a household budget is spent on housing, water and energy; almost one fifth on food, beverages and stimulants such as alcohol and tobacco. Outside the home, a quarter is spent on transport, recreation and accommodation and food services.

Every five years, CBS conducts a Budget surveynoot1 among Dutch households to collect information on household spending. During the coronavirus pandemic, shifts in spending changed the average household spending pattern in 2020. Various measures to control the spread of the coronavirus gave households fewer spending opportunities for certain goods and services. In comparison with 2015, a smaller proportion was spent on clothing, transport, recreation, culture and accommodation and food services in 2020. On the other hand, a larger share of income was spent on housing, furnishings and food.

Show datatableHousehold expenditure pattern (% of total expenditure)Hide datatableHousehold expenditure pattern (% of total expenditure)

Household expenditure pattern (% of total expenditure)

Soort besteding	2020*	2015
Housing, water and energy	33.2	31.5
Food	12.6	11
Transport	11.2	12.9
Recreation and culture	8.5	9.6
Upholstery and appliances	6.5	5.4
Restaurants and hotels	4.7	5.9
Clothing and footwear	3.9	4.7
Communication	3.5	3.4
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco	3.4	3.0
Other	12.5	12.6
* Provisional figures

Singles spend more on housing

Spending patterns are not the same in every household and vary by household composition. People living alone spend a larger share of their money on housing, water and energy than those living together. Couples spend relatively more money on recreation and accommodation and food services. There are also differences in spending patterns between people living alone. For instance, a man living alone will on average spend a smaller share on clothes but a larger proportion on alcohol and tobacco than a woman living alone.

Show datatableHousehold expenditure pattern by household composition, 2020* (% of total expenditure)Hide datatableHousehold expenditure pattern by household composition, 2020* (% of total expenditure)

Household expenditure pattern by household composition, 2020* (% of total expenditure)

Samenstelling huishouden	Housing, water and energy	Transport, recreation and accommodation and food services	Food, beverages and tobacco	Clothing, footwear, home furnishings and household appliances	Other
Private households	33.2	24.4	16.0	10.4	16.0
Single-person household (man)	39.8	22.1	17.1	7.7	13.5
Single-person household (woman)	42.3	17.4	15.3	9.5	15.4
Single-parent family	33.7	22.3	15.9	11.2	17.1
Couple with child(ren)	27.3	27.6	15.9	11.9	17.1
Couple without child(ren)	33.3	25.4	15.6	10.1	15.5
* Provisional figures

Higher income means smaller proportion spent on housing

Spending patterns are also influenced by the level of household income. As household income increases, a smaller proportion of the budget goes towards housing, water and energy. The same applies, albeit to a lesser extent, to expenditure on food, beverages and tobacco. In contrast, as income increases, the share of expenditure on transport, recreation, accommodation and food services, clothing and home furnishing rises.

Show datatableHousehold expenditure pattern by income group, 2020* (% of total expenditure)Hide datatableHousehold expenditure pattern by income group, 2020* (% of total expenditure)

Household expenditure pattern by income group, 2020* (% of total expenditure)

Inkomensgroep	Housing, water and energy	Food, beverages and tobacco	Transport, recreation and accommodation and food services	Clothing, footwear, home furnishings and household appliances	Other
1st 10% group (low income)	40.9	19.2	15.9	7.5	16.6
2nd 10% group	43.1	18.8	15.5	7.9	14.5
3rd 10% group	40.6	18	17.5	8.5	15.4
4th 10% group	38.6	15.6	20.6	9.3	15.8
5th 10% group	37.1	16.1	22.6	8.6	15.6
6th 10% group	35.3	16.2	23	9.4	16.1
7th 10% group	32.5	15.9	24.6	10.5	16.5
8th 10% group	30.1	15.2	26.6	11.6	16.4
9th 10% group	28.2	15.2	28.7	11.8	16.2
10th 10% group (high income)	25.6	14.1	31.2	13	16.1
* Provisional figures

The questions

1. How does CBS collect data?
2. How much do we cycle per week on average?
3. Who are most likely to work part-time?
4. How many people visited Bonaire by cruise ship?
5. Are people happy with the house they live in?
6. How many young women encounter street harassment?
7. What do the over-65s do online?
8. How many wind turbines in the Netherlands?
9. How far is school by bike?
10. How many museums are there?
11. How much electricity in the Caribbean Netherlands is renewable?
12. How many adults are overweight?
13. How many cargo ships dock at Dutch seaports?
14. What did we listen to on the radio in 1953?
15. What is the average lifespan in the Netherlands?
16. Where did we go for a holiday in 1947?
17. How much fish is landed?
18. Where were people in the Netherlands born?
19. What do we spend money on?
20. How old are Dutch first-time mothers on average?
21. How much cheese do we produce?
22. How are goods transported through the Netherlands?
23. How many people fall victim to cybercrime?
24. What is the most spoken language or dialect at home?
25. How many shops are there?
26. What is the value of Dutch beer exports?
27. How often do we have a goosebump moment?
28. How many cows graze in fields?
29. What are the most popular majors?
30. How tall are Dutch people?
31. How is the urban bird population doing?
32. Where do most people work?
33. What colour is our car?
34. How does CBS handle your privacy?