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Wednesday 30 September 2015 5:30 pm

Here’s what drove British household spending in the second quarter of 2015

By: Jessica Morris

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While Brits went mad for games, toys and hobbies in the second quarter, they were less keen on wine, beer and other tipples.

Household spending in volume terms, when adjusted for inflation, increased 0.8 per cent to £2.3bn during this period, according to official data released today.

People splurged on the "recreation and culture" sector which increased 3.2 per cent between April and June, compared to January to March. They were particularly keen on "games, toys and hobbies", one category of the recreation sector, which rose 4.9 per cent compared to the first quarter. Does this mean the UK has become a nation of Monopoly addicts? 

But traditionally boozy Brits chose to stay off the drink as "alcoholic beverages" was the largest drag on household spending growth. This was driven by decreased spending on wine, which fell by 6.1 per cent, continuing the downward trend from the previous quarter.

"Electricity, gas and other fuels" also slipped by 3.5 per cent compared to the first quarter of this year.


(ONS)

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