Technological development over the past thirty years has revolutionized the world of technology. Italian household consumptionwith food and clothes to make room in the shopping cart. Phones and TravelThis is what emerges from the analysis carried out by the research office Confcommercio, which has tracked how consumption habits have changed in our country, recording a boom in +6.500% On per capita spending on mobile phones in real terms.
How Spending Has Changed Over the Past 30 Years
As the study conducted by the business association points out, in fact, since 1995, spending on mobile phones and smartphones has been the trend that has recorded the greatest increase in Italian purchases alongside consumers. technology In general, such as computers, audio-visual and multimedia products, which recorded an increase in +962%.
Another fast growing sector is travel. free time and services related to culture, by +90% in the last thirty years, while spending has decreased in the same period on products considered more traditional such as food and drink (-10.6%), clothing (-3.9%), furniture and furnishings. appliances (-3.5%) and electricity and gas consumption (-16.6%). This is also due to the reduction of waste and energy saving policies implemented by institutions at Italian and European level in recent years.
“For nearly thirty years,” the Bureau of Research asserted, “with the exception of the enormous growth of telephone communications, only consumption connected with the use of leisure time has shown, in quantitative terms, a gradual tendency to increase.”
According to Confcommercio’s analysis, in general, household consumer spending has been falling continuously since 2008, even if volumes in 2023 return to pre-pandemic levels.
However, it is still lagging behind before the coronavirus emergency. Tourism Supply ChainTravel, vacations, meals and consumption outside the home, although recent years have seen continued attendance records.
“This year, consumption linked to leisure and in the tourism sector will make a strong contribution to growth – commented the president of Confcommercio, Carlo Sangalli – but our economy is still in a phase of uncertainty. Much will depend on the stability of employment, the decline in inflation, the investments of the National Agrarian Reform Program, the progress of the tourist season. And above all, on the full implementation of the tax reform that can support household income and consumption.”
Consumption growth in 2024
According to the analysis of the Confcommercio research office, household consumer spending in 2024 is 21,778 euros per personcompared to €21,250 in 2019 before Covid, but also higher than the €21,558 recorded in 2023. However, the level of Italian consumption is still below the last peak recorded in 2007, at €21,916.
“Despite the moderate growth estimates also in 2024, expenditure per capita, therefore taking into account changes in interventions on the resident population side which have been declining for several years, in constant prices, in fact, will be lower by About 200 eurosCompared to 2007.
If we take the main expenditure items for this year in detail, compared to 2023, +5.6% in the travel and holiday sector (€720), +8% in the telephony sector (€153.4) and +4.5% in audiovisual products that support public spending. Increase in the entertainment expenditure category (+1.3%). Purchases of transport services and purchases made in public institutions also increased by around 4%.
“Internet trailblazer. Travelaholic. Passionate social media evangelist. Tv advocate.”
