LAGOS, Oyo and Delta states recorded the highest household spending in Nigeria in 2019, which accounts for N5.06 trillion, N2.34 trillion and N2.16 trillion respectively of the total household spending, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed.

While Nasarawa, Ebonyi and Taraba states were responsible for the least household spending, accounting for N383.58 billion, N310.18 billion and N297.38 billion respectively of the total household spending.

According to the NBS report, the more developed a society becomes, the less it spends on food and the more it spends on non-food items.

Through the recent report, Lagos has shown a clear indication of a state with an emerging economy. Lagos state’s expenditure on non-food items was more than its expenditure on food.

For a developing country like Nigeria, the consumption pattern is towards food. This means that people spend more on food than on non-food items.

The report puts the total expenditure on food in urban areas at N9.84 trillion in 2019 (N3.65 trillion in 2009/2010) and that of rural areas at N12.92 trillion (N9.36 trillion in 2009/2010).

According to NBS, in 2019, food consumed outside the home, followed by transportation and starchy roots, tubers and plantains, accounted for the biggest share of household spending.

This translates to a combined 24.16 per cent of total household expenditure.

Transport, health, education, services, rent, fuel and electricity jointly accounted for 79.40 per cent of non-food expenditure.

Consumption Expenditure Pattern in Nigeria for 2019 released showed that food had 56.65 per cent of the total household expenditure of more than N40.207 trillion in the period.

While 43.35 per cent which was N17.43 trillion went to transport, health, education, rent, fuel and other non-food essentials.

The NBS Consumption Expenditure Pattern report is compiled every decade with the latest version based on the Nigerian Living Standard Survey (NLSS) 2018/2019.

It aims to depict household consumption expenditure types by food and non-food items at the national, zonal level, and state level, and also the urban/rural divide.