More phones, less food, family consumption has changed

Household consumption spending in 2024 will average 21,778 euros per capita, higher than pre-Covid levels but still below the 2007 peak of 138 euros. An analysis by the Confcommercio Research Office has looked at consumption over the last 30 years and recorded a boom in spending on phones and technology and a decline in more traditional purchases.
In particular, expenditure on food (-10.6%), clothing (-3.9%), furniture and household appliances (-3.5%) is below the levels of 30 years ago. Electricity and gas consumption is also decreasing (-16.6%) thanks also to lower waste and the energy saving policies adopted.
In the same period, telephones saw an increase in spending in real terms of over 6,500%, while for PCs and audiovisual and multimedia products the growth was 962%. The only other sector in expansion was leisure, with recreational and cultural services in particular recording +90%.
On the other hand, expenses in the tourism sector, such as travel and holidays and meals and consumption outside the home, despite the recovery in recent years with continuous record attendance, are still slightly lower than pre-pandemic levels. (ANSA).