Households in Europe spent over €1.1 trillion on transport
In 2017, households in the European Union (EU) spent 13.0% of their total consumption expenditure on transport. This represents a total expenditure of over €1.1 trillion, equivalent to 7.1% of EU GDP or €2 100 per EU inhabitant.
Transport is the EU’s second largest household expenditure item after housing (24.2% of total consumption expenditure). Food and non-alcoholic beverages follow in third place (12.2%).
A more complete overview of household final consumption expenditure, broken down by consumption purpose, is available in this interactive infographic.
Slovenia and Lithuania spend highest share of household expenditure on transport, Slovakia spends least
In the EU in 2017, the share of household expenditure devoted to transport was largest in Slovenia (16.3%) and Lithuania (16.0%) They were followed by Germany (14.7%), Luxembourg (14.4%) and Bulgaria (13.9%).
At the opposite end of the scale, Slovakia (7.9%), Czechia (10.1%), Belgium (11.1%), Romania (11.2%), Estonia and Spain (both 11.6%) spent the lowest share of their household expenditure on transport.
The source dataset is accessible here.
Share of expenditure on transport decreased mainly in Romania, Cyprus and Luxembourg
Between 2007 and 2017, the share of transport expenditure in total household expenditure decreased or remained stable in most Member States.
The largest decreases over this 10-year period were recorded Romania (from 15.9% in 2007 to 11.2% in 2017, or a decrease of 4.7 pp), Cyprus (- 4.2 pp, from 17.2% to 13.0%), Luxembourg (- 3.8 pp, from 18.2% to 14.4%) and Bulgaria (- 3.1 pp, from 17.0% to 13.9%).
However, between 2007 and 2017, in five EU Member States, the share of a households spending on transport expenditure increased. These countries were Poland (from 10.8% in 2007 to 12.3% in 2017, or an increase of 1.5 pp), Slovenia (+ 0.8 pp, from 15.5% to 16.3%), Germany (+ 0.5 pp, from 14.2% to 14.7%), Slovakia (+ 0.5 pp, from 7.4% to 7.9%), and Ireland (+ 0.2 pp, from 12.8% to 13.0%).
Source: Eurostat
