Households spent more on food, housing and household equipment but cut down on other expenses
According to Statistics Estonia, in 2020, the average expenditure per household member in a month was 477 euros, which is 12 euros less than in 2019. Compulsory expenditure, i.e. unavoidable food and housing expenses in the household budget, increased by seven euros year on year.
Anet Müürsoo, leading analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that, in 2020, the expenditure on food and housing accounted for 39% of the total household budget, which is 2.2 percentage points higher than in 2019. Compulsory expenditure per household member grew by seven euros year on year and totalled 186 euros per month, on average.
“The average monthly expenditure on food and non-alcoholic beverages was 108 euros per household member, which is five euros more than the year before. The average expenditure on housing per month was 78 euros – this is two euros more than in 2019,” added Müürsoo.
Compared to 2019, the average expenditure on transport decreased by six euros (66 euros), the expenditure on recreation and culture by five euros (47 euros) and the expenditure on clothing and footwear by three euros (23 euros). The expenditure on household equipment and operation (38 euros) increased by two euros year on year.
“By county, the expenditure per household member in a month was the highest in Hiiu, Rapla and Harju counties at 533, 528 and 508 euros, respectively. The monthly expenditure was the lowest in Võru and Ida-Viru counties at, respectively, 398 and 381 euros per household member. Compared to 2019, the differences in household expenditure between counties have become smaller,” noted Müürsoo.
By type of household, the biggest decrease in monthly expenditure per household member was registered among couples with minor and adult children (down by 57 euros), couples with three or more children (down by 42 euros) and couples with one child (down by 42 euros). There was an increase in expenditure in households without children: single persons aged under 65 (up by 47 euros) and single persons aged 65 and over (up by 24 euros).
The estimates are based on the 2020 data of the Household Budget Survey conducted by Statistics Estonia. More than 5,000 households participated in the survey. A household is a group of people who live at the same address and share joint financial resources and whose members consider themselves to belong to the same household. In 2020, there were over 611,700 households in Estonia and the average size of a household was 2.2 persons.
Mortgage payments, real estate purchases, financial investments, expenses on major repairs or construction and other investments are not taken into account as household consumption expenditure.
For the Household Budget Survey, the main representatives of public interest are the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Finance. The data are collected and analysed by Statistics Estonia.
More detailed data have been published in the statistical database.
For further information:
Kadri Kütt
Media Relations Manager
Marketing and Dissemination Department
Statistics Estonia
Tel +372 625 9181