Only in Lebanon: expenditures on luxuries equals necessities and on fashion equals education

Al Diyar Daily published today an article featuring a survey on spending on luxury and necessity items by the Lebanese for the year 2012. The survey, which was conducted by the Central Administration of Statistics in cooperation with the World Bank, indicated that spending on housing had the lion’s share, accounting for 28.50% of which 46.2% represented spending on rent, electricity and gasoline bills. According to the study, spending on food was estimated at 18-22 %, followed by transportation which scored 13.1% and which reached in some cases 15% of the total income of persons residing in areas far from the capital. Spending on medical care reached 7.82%, distributed as such: 53% for the purchase of medications and 24% for hospitalization bills. The newspaper citing the study’s findings, said that spending on education recorded a considerable decline, 7.68% in 2005 against 5,86% in 2012, while noting that with 7% this share was higher in Beirut and Mount Lebanon and as low as 4% in the Northern areas. The survey went on to say that spending on fashion and accessories is high at a rate of 5.38% which is quite close to spending on education. Finally, the study revealed that the Lebanese spending on alcoholic beverages and tobacco products was equivalent to 1.6%. Likewise, annual average purchase of cigarettes by one family in one year was estimated at USD309.12. In summary, the study concluded by saying that Lebanese from both sexes spend on luxuries and necessities nearly equally. (Al Diyar, 8 May 2015)