Canberra Region

Household expenditure

In 2023/24, household expenditure on utilities was $3,668 in the Canberra Region, lower compared to NSW.

Household Expenditure is modelled based on a set of expenditure items collected every 5 years in the ABS Household Expenditure Survey. Household Expenditure is a useful measure of the economic resources available to households in the area and where their income is spent. Areas with good public transport infrastructure and access to jobs may spend less on transport and more on discretionary spending such as entertainment. More disadvantaged areas may spend a higher proportion of their income on food and transport. An examination of the distribution of household spending per household may provide insights into the socio-economic status of the area.

Data source

National Economics (NIEIR) - Modelled series

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Household expenditure
Canberra Region2023/242018/19Change
Household expenditure (totals)$ per household% of expenditureNSWNSW$$ per household% of expenditureNSWNSW$2018/19 - 2023/24
Food$12,2779.7%$13,0189.6%$12,8039.8%$12,6929.3%-526
Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco$4,4473.5%$4,7243.5%$6,1654.7%$6,1224.5%-1,718
Clothing & Footwear$5,1734.1%$5,5114.1%$4,6783.6%$4,6613.4%+495
Furnishings & equipment $5,8654.6%$6,2234.6%$6,0704.7%$6,0154.4%-205
Health$8,0126.3%$8,4946.3%$7,5825.8%$7,5895.5%+430
Transport$12,73110.0%$14,56410.7%$13,83410.6%$16,00611.7%-1,104
Communications$2,4111.9%$2,5171.9%$2,2391.7%$2,1841.6%+172
Recreation & Culture$13,24310.4%$13,94110.3%$14,14410.9%$13,82310.1%-901
Education $4,5903.6%$4,9473.6%$4,6233.6%$4,6993.4%-33
Hotels, Cafes & Restaurants $10,8338.5%$11,3598.4%$10,7008.2%$11,2788.2%+133
Miscellaneous Goods & Services $17,37713.7%$17,73713.1%$20,21715.5%$19,02013.9%-2,840
Housing$26,47520.8%$28,82621.2%$22,68917.4%$28,80421.0%+3,787
Utilities$3,6682.9%$3,8122.8%$4,3763.4%$4,1673.0%-708
Total Expenditure$127,103100.0%$135,674100.0%$130,120100.0%$137,058100.0%-3,017
Net Savings$18,47812.7%$22,13314.0%$19,96613.3%$23,60014.7%-1,488
Total Disposable Income$145,5810%$157,8070%$150,0860%$160,6580%-4,505

Source: National Institute of Economic and Industry Research (NIEIR) ©2025. Compiled and presented in economy.id by .id (informed decisions). Note: All $ values are expressed in 2022/23 base year dollar terms. NIEIR-ID data are inflation adjusted each year to allow direct comparison, and annual data releases adjust previous years’ figures to a new base year. Learn more

Please refer to specific data notes for more information
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Canberra Region Joint Organisation area

economic profile