Consumption per head in the UK: 2017

Please note this page is no longer being updated. All future updates and releases will feature appear here: Actual individual consumption per head in the UK.

In 2017, consumption per head in the UK, measured using Actual Individual Consumption (AIC) per head was the fifth highest in the EU, behind Luxembourg, Germany, Austria and Denmark. 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 13 December 2018.

AIC, which is a measure of material welfare of households, was 14% higher in the UK than the EU28 average; this compares with 15% higher in 2016. Luxembourg was again the highest in the EU (32% above the EU28 average), with Bulgaria the lowest (54% of the EU28 average). AIC per head is often used as a measure of households material welfare; it consists of consumer goods and services consumed by individuals, irrespective of whether these goods and services are purchased and paid for by households, by non-profit organisations or by government such as health and education services.

The data presented in this release for all countries in the EU are produced collaboratively by the Eurostat and OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Purchasing Power Parities Programme. Harmonised methodology and surveys are used to create direct comparisons between countries.

In 2017, 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, 39% above the average, whilst in Bulgaria the price level was 50% below the EU average. The UK had price levels of 16% above the EU average.

Tables 1 and 2 detail EU, European Free Trade Association, candidate and accession countries’ ranking per capita in 2017, by actual individual consumption and gross domestic product respectively.

Notes on: Consumption per head in the UK is fifth highest in the EU

1. ONS also produces economic well-being indicators for the UK in a quarterly release that 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.