Latest Household Expenditure Tracker shows lowest earning households have seen some recovery in spending power but are still left with less than £52 on average after spending on basics

The Household Expenditure Tracker found that Northern Ireland’s lowest earning households have seen their discretionary income fall by 20% since the first quarter of 2021, leaving them with less than £52 per week on average after paying for essentials.

In Quarter 3 2024 (July to September), on average these lowest earning households:

•    spent 49% of their total basic spending on food, rent, energy, and transport per week
•    have 6% less income before tax than the UK average
•    saw their discretionary income rise 3% over the last quarter from £49.95 to £51.45 per week
•    saw a rise of less than 1% in income after tax over the last quarter from £279.38 to £281.22 per week

The ability of households in Northern Ireland to absorb unexpected bills or price rises differs sharply depending on household income. Northern Ireland’s highest earning households have on average, over 13 times more discretionary income left to spend every week compared to the lowest earning households.

Anne-Marie Murphy, our Director of Strategy & Emerging Markets said:

“In July – September 2024, while our lowest earning households saw a small rise in discretionary income this equates to only £1.50 per week, leaving these households with less than £52 on average after spending on basics. Food costs represent the highest area of spend for many of our lower income households and the economic climate continues to cause concern. Our latest Pulse Survey showed that more than two in five (43%) of Northern Ireland’s consumers felt that their household was worse off compared to 12 months ago.”

“To help consumers, we offer a variety of support and advice on our website including interactive tools to compare energy costs and advice on how to reduce your bills and make your money go further."

You can view the latest Northern Ireland Household Expenditure Tracker here: https://www.consumercouncil.org.uk/research/q3-2024-northern-ireland-household-expenditure-tracker