Categories
Every category of consumer spending
Total consumption tells you the size of a market. Category data tells you where the growth is coming from - across 12 top-level categories and 200+ sub-categories, broken down by age, income, gender and geography.
The biggest line in a category is rarely the fastest growing.
Biggest lineDivision rateFastest line
Transport4.5%
Motor cars 4.0%Buses and coaches 6.3%
Clothing and footwear4.2%
Garments 4.1%Clothing materials 6.1%
Personal care and financial services5.8%
Financial services 5.4%Other services 6.7%
Recreation and culture3.8%
Recreational and sporting services 3.6%Stationery and drawing materials 4.8%
Health5.5%
Hospital services 5.2%Paramedical services 6.3%
Food and drink5.0%
Meat 4.9%Milk 5.8%
Furnishings4.2%
Furniture and furnishings 4.0%Carpets and other floor coverings 4.7%
Restaurants and hotels5.4%
Restaurants 5.6%Coffee shops 6.0%
Housing and energy4.9%
Imputed rentals for housing 5.0%Solid fuels 5.4%
Alcohol and tobacco4.4%
Tobacco 4.4%Spirits 4.6%
Education5.5%
Tertiary education 5.5%Secondary education 5.7%
Communication4.1%
Telephone and telefax service 4.2%Telephone and telefax service 4.2%
3.0%real growth a year to 20367.5%
See the data
| Category | Division growth | Biggest line | Biggest line growth | Fastest-growing line | Fastest line growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transport | 4.5% | Motor cars | 4.0% | Buses and coaches | 6.3% |
| Clothing and footwear | 4.2% | Garments | 4.1% | Clothing materials | 6.1% |
| Personal care and financial services | 5.8% | Financial services | 5.4% | Other services | 6.7% |
| Recreation and culture | 3.8% | Recreational and sporting services | 3.6% | Stationery and drawing materials | 4.8% |
| Health | 5.5% | Hospital services | 5.2% | Paramedical services | 6.3% |
| Food and drink | 5.0% | Meat | 4.9% | Milk | 5.8% |
| Furnishings | 4.2% | Furniture and furnishings | 4.0% | Carpets and other floor coverings | 4.7% |
| Restaurants and hotels | 5.4% | Restaurants | 5.6% | Coffee shops | 6.0% |
| Housing and energy | 4.9% | Imputed rentals for housing | 5.0% | Solid fuels | 5.4% |
| Alcohol and tobacco | 4.4% | Tobacco | 4.4% | Spirits | 4.6% |
| Education | 5.5% | Tertiary education | 5.5% | Secondary education | 5.7% |
| Communication | 4.1% | Telephone and telefax service | 4.2% | Telephone and telefax service | 4.2% |
Every country leans on a different part of the wallet.
Each country takes the colour of the category it leans on most against the world. The number beside a category is how many countries lean on it.
Food and drink
76
Alcohol and tobacco
36
Communication
26
Education
14
Restaurants and hotels
14
Clothing
8
Recreation
7
Housing and energy
4
Furnishings
3
Transport
3
Health
2
Personal care and services
1
See the data
| Category | Countries |
|---|---|
| Food and drink | 76 |
| Alcohol and tobacco | 36 |
| Communication | 26 |
| Education | 14 |
| Restaurants and hotels | 14 |
| Clothing | 8 |
| Recreation | 7 |
| Housing and energy | 4 |
| Furnishings | 3 |
| Transport | 3 |
| Health | 2 |
| Personal care and services | 1 |
The over-65s take a bigger share of every category by 2036.
Food and drinkShare of the world's spending by the age of the buyer, 2026 and 2036. The 2036 column is taller by the category's growth.
2026
2036 · 5.0% a year
- Under 153.5% a year
- 15 to 294.8% a year
- 30 to 444.1% a year
- 45 to 645.2% a year
- 65 and over7.1% a year
See the data
| Category | 2026 share | 2036 share | Annual growth for 65 and over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food and drink | 17.7% | 21.6% | 7.1% |
| Alcohol and tobacco | 16.8% | 20.0% | 6.2% |
| Clothing | 11.2% | 13.7% | 6.3% |
| Housing and energy | 22.8% | 27.1% | 6.7% |
| Furnishings | 20.8% | 24.4% | 5.8% |
| Health | 29.5% | 34.1% | 7.0% |
| Transport | 12.6% | 14.9% | 6.3% |
| Communication | 19.2% | 22.2% | 5.7% |
| Recreation | 15.8% | 18.5% | 5.4% |
| Education | 11.1% | 14.3% | 8.1% |
| Restaurants and hotels | 12.9% | 15.8% | 7.5% |
| Personal care | 22.5% | 26.6% | 7.6% |
| Financial services | 23.6% | 27.3% | 7.1% |
As a consumer gets richer, the wallet re-sorts itself.
Crossing a line changes what a person buys. Every category has an affordability threshold, and once a consumer clears it, the category wins a share of the wallet: when the general consumer reaches the core middle in 2031, restaurants, recreation and financial services all grow at food's expense.
Poor & vulnerableunder $13.20
- Food35.3%
- Housing18.6%
- Transport9.7%
- Health5.6%
- Financial services5.2%
- Clothing4.6%
- Furnishings4.3%
- Education3.6%
- Restaurants3.5%
- Communication2.6%
- Alcohol & tobacco2.5%
- Personal care2.5%
- Recreation2.0%
Lower middle$13.20 to $45General consumer, 2026
- Food25.7%
- Housing19.1%
- Transport11.5%
- Financial services6.6%
- Health6.2%
- Restaurants5.5%
- Clothing4.9%
- Furnishings4.4%
- Education4.1%
- Communication3.1%
- Recreation3.1%
- Personal care3.1%
- Alcohol & tobacco2.8%
Core middle$45 to $90General consumer, 2031
- Housing19.8%
- Food18.8%
- Transport12.3%
- Financial services8.3%
- Restaurants6.9%
- Health6.7%
- Recreation5.2%
- Clothing4.7%
- Furnishings4.7%
- Personal care3.5%
- Education3.2%
- Communication3.1%
- Alcohol & tobacco2.8%
Upper middle$90 to $130
- Housing19.3%
- Food15.1%
- Transport12.7%
- Financial services9.5%
- Restaurants7.9%
- Health7.7%
- Recreation6.5%
- Furnishings4.7%
- Clothing4.6%
- Personal care3.6%
- Communication3.1%
- Education2.8%
- Alcohol & tobacco2.6%
Rich$130+
- Housing18.7%
- Health12.2%
- Transport12.0%
- Financial services11.8%
- Food10.2%
- Restaurants8.3%
- Recreation8.0%
- Furnishings4.5%
- Clothing3.8%
- Personal care3.4%
- Communication2.7%
- Alcohol & tobacco2.1%
- Education2.1%
Ranked by share of the wallet, food falls from first to fifth between the poorest and the richest spending group, while recreation rises six places, restaurants three and health two.
See the data
| Category | Poor & vulnerable (under $13.20) | Lower middle ($13.20 to $45) | Core middle ($45 to $90) | Upper middle ($90 to $130) | Rich ($130+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food | 35.3% | 25.7% | 18.8% | 15.1% | 10.2% |
| Alcohol & tobacco | 2.5% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.6% | 2.1% |
| Clothing | 4.6% | 4.9% | 4.7% | 4.6% | 3.8% |
| Housing | 18.6% | 19.1% | 19.8% | 19.3% | 18.7% |
| Furnishings | 4.3% | 4.4% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.5% |
| Health | 5.6% | 6.2% | 6.7% | 7.7% | 12.2% |
| Transport | 9.7% | 11.5% | 12.3% | 12.7% | 12.0% |
| Communication | 2.6% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 2.7% |
| Recreation | 2.0% | 3.1% | 5.2% | 6.5% | 8.0% |
| Education | 3.6% | 4.1% | 3.2% | 2.8% | 2.1% |
| Restaurants | 3.5% | 5.5% | 6.9% | 7.9% | 8.3% |
| Personal care | 2.5% | 3.1% | 3.5% | 3.6% | 3.4% |
| Financial services | 5.2% | 6.6% | 8.3% | 9.5% | 11.8% |
Everything we hold on what the world buys.
13 divisions, 2026 spending - hover a category to see what is inside
Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages
USD 10.70T
Bread & cerealMeatSeafoodDairyOils & fatsFruitVegetablesConfectioneryOther food productsCoffee & teaSoft drinks
Housing
USD 14.37T
RentsMaintenance materialsMaintenance servicesWaterRefuseSewageOther supplyElectricityGasLiquid fuelSolid fuelOther energy
Furnishing & Household Equipment
USD 3.19T
FurnitureCarpetsFurniture repairTextilesMajor appliancesSmall appliancesAppliance repairDishesTablewareHousehold toolsHousehold non-durablesHousehold services
Health
USD 6.78T
MedicinesMedical productsMedical equipmentMedical servicesDentalParamedicalHospital services
Transport
USD 8.27T
CarsMotorcyclesBicyclesPartsFuelMaintenanceServicesRailway travelRoad travelAir travelWater travelOther travel
Recreation & Culture
USD 4.64T
AV durablesCamerasComputersRecording mediaRecreational repairOutdoor durablesIndoor durablesDurable repairGames & toysSporting equipmentGardeningPetsVetsSports servicesCultural servicesGames of chanceBooksNewspapersOther printStationeryPackage holidays
Financial Services
USD 6.89T
Miscellaneous Goods & Services
Social protectionLife insuranceHome insuranceHealth insuranceTravel insuranceOther insuranceFinancial servicesOther services
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