HC Deb 10 March 1978 vol 945 cc786-7W
Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of personal disposable income was spent on food, excluding meals out, in each of the years since 1968 to the latest available date, in each of the EEC countries and Australia, Canada and the United States of America.

Mr. Strang

The information is not readily available in the form requested

HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE ON FOOD* AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE 1970–75†
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975
EEC
Germany 19.7 19.0 18.7 18.3 17.9 17.3
France 22.0 21.2 21.0 20.5 20.1 20.1
Italy 33.2 32.3 31.8 31.5 31.4 31.4
Netherlands 22.2 21.5 21.0 20.5 20.1 19.9
Belgium 23.8 22.6 22.2 21.4 21.0 20.5
Luxembourg 23.8 23.0 22.7 22.3 21.2 N.A.
United Kingdom 19.7 19.4 18.3 18.4 18.5 18.4
Ireland 27.0 26.3 26.0 26.3 26.0 N.A.
Denmark 19.1 19.4 19.3 19.6 20.8 20.6
Australia 19.1 18.7 18.4 18.4 17.6 17.1
Canada 15.9 15.4 15.5 16.0 16.3 16.5
United States 14.8 14.0 13.6 13.9 14.4 14.4
* Food excludes soft drinks except for Australia and Canada. Taxes on expenditure are included.
†Data for the EEC for 1968 and 1969 are not available on a comparative basis.