Expenditure on Environmentally Sensitive Goods and Services: Household Spending in Europe

Abstract

Expenditure on environmentally sensitive goods and services has been analysed for the member states of the EEC, using the EUROSTAT Family Budgets data based on surveys carried out in 1988. Some data are also available from Germany, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. The groups with low average expenditures spend a higher proportion of their budget on energy than those with high expenditures, but a lower proportion on transport, especially vehicle purchases. However, all groups spend a much higher proportion of expenditure on transport than on energy, although purchased (i.e. non-private motoring and public) transport is a small proportion of transport spending, even for low expenditure groups. Pensioners spend a relatively high proportion of their budgets on package tours, especially compared to the other 'at risk' groups.