Consumption per head in the UK is fourth highest in the EU

In 2016, consumption per head in the UK, measured using actual individual consumption (AIC) per head was fourth highest in the EU, behind Luxembourg, Germany and Austria. This is according to new figures recorded by Office for National Statistics (ONS) and compiled and released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union¹, on 14th December 2017.

AIC, which is a measure of material welfare of households, was 16% higher in the UK than the EU28 average; this compares with 15% higher in 2015. Luxembourg was again the highest in the EU (32% above the EU28 average), with Bulgaria the lowest (53% of the EU28 average). AIC per head is often used as a measure of households’ material welfare as it incorporates all goods and services that a household consumes, whether they have purchased and paid for them themselves or not.

The data in this release for all countries within the EU use harmonised methodology and surveys to create a direct comparison between countries produced by the Eurostat Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) purchasing power parities programme.

In 2016, price levels for consumer goods and services differed widely across Europe. Price levels provide a comparison of countries price levels relative to the EU average. Denmark has the highest price levels among EU Member States, 41% above the average, whilst in Bulgaria the price level was 52% below the EU average. The UK had price levels of 22% above the EU average.

Tables 1 and 2 detail EU, European Free Trade Association, candidate and accession countries’ ranking per capita in 2016 by actual individual consumption and gross domestic product respectively.

Notes:

1. ONS also produces economic well-being indicators for the UK in a quarterly release which presents indicators that adjust or supplement more traditional measures such as GDP to give a rounded and comprehensive basis for assessing changes in economic well-being.