In 2016, households in the European Union (EU) spent 4.9% of their total consumption expenditure on clothing and footwear. This represents a total expenditure of €395.4 billion, equivalent to 2.7% of EU GDP or €800 per EU inhabitant. Households' annual expenditure on clothing and footwear is therefore slightly higher than the amount they spent on their health.
Weight of household expenditure for clothing and footwear highest in Estonia, lowest in Bulgaria
In 2016, households in Estonia (6.8%) devoted the largest share of their total expenditure to clothing and footwear, followed by those in Portugal (6.3%), Italy (6.2%), Austria (6.1%), Lithuania (5.9%) and Latvia (5.8%).
At the opposite end of the scale, the lowest proportions were recorded in Bulgaria (3.2%), Romania (3.4% in 2015), the Czech Republic and Hungary (both 3.6%), Greece and France (both 3.8%), Ireland (3.9%) and Slovakia (4.0%).
The source dataset can be found here.
Share of expenditure on clothing and footwear decreased the most in Lithuania, Greece and Spain
Between 2006 and 2016, the share of clothing and footwear in total household expenditure decreased in the vast majority of Member States.
The largest fall over this 10-year period was recorded in Lithuania (from 7.8% of total household expenditure in 2006 to 5.9% in 2016, or a decrease of 1.9 percentage points – pp), ahead of Greece (-1.3 pp), Spain (-1.1 pp), Ireland, France, Cyprus and Malta (all -0.8 pp).
In contrast, the share of clothing and footwear in total household expenditure increased between 2006 and 2016 in seven Member States, and most strongly in Poland (from 4.6% in 2006 to 5.2% in 2016, or an increase of 0.6 pp), Latvia and the United Kingdom (both +0.5 pp), Hungary and Luxembourg (both +0.4 pp).
A more complete picture of household final consumption expenditure, broken down by consumption purpose, is available in this interactive infographic.