While nominal spending on the category increased over the period, there was a 7.5 per cent real-terms drop when accounting for inflation, making it the area where households made the biggest cutbacks, the agency said.
The figures suggest households were “either consuming less, or where applicable buying lower quality items”, the ONS said. Average weekly household expenditure was £567.70 over the year, a nominal increase of £38.90, or 7 per cent, on the previous 12 months.
However, after accounting for inflation, this was a real-terms decrease of £21.10, or 4 per cent, the agency said. The figures cover the period when households were facing rocketing energy bills and inflation, brought about in part by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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Stop buying clothes now!
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Grandmother lost savings and her business after being wrongly charged with fraud
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Rebels seize control of Aleppo in blow to Assad
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Ukraine could use a Trump peace deal to buy some time
After Putin's brutal invasion of Ukraine, Western leaders repeated constantly that they would stand behind Kyiv \"as long as it takes\", first as Ukraine struck back, then as Russia counterattacked.
Zelensky's plan for peace a 'major concession' to Putin
UK's former ambassador to Russia praises Ukraine president
