UK household spending: clothing and footwear
UK household spending: clothing and footwear stood at £21,184m in Q2 2026, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is one of the indicators in the Household spending and saving table (Value · Quarterly), with a complete series running from Q1 1985 to Q2 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Household spending and saving table
| Indicator | Q2-2026 | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household final consumption expenditure | |||||||||||
| Clothing and footwear | 21,184 | 20,780 | 20,594 | 20,630 | 20,025 | 19,793 | 19,813 | 19,693 | 19,618 | 19,423 | |
| Housing, water, electricity and fuels | 127,218 | 126,403 | 125,162 | 123,764 | 122,720 | 120,227 | 118,631 | 115,648 | 112,346 | 111,522 |
Understanding UK household spending: clothing and footwear
Spending on clothing and footwear measures total consumer expenditure within the United Kingdom on garments for men, women, children, and infants, alongside shoes, boots, and associated repair services. This series includes items bought through high street retailers, department stores, and online platforms, as well as costs incurred for dry-cleaning and tailoring. It differs from household goods categories by tracking wearable personal items and apparel rather than domestic furnishings or durable equipment.
Reviewing these statistics demands an awareness of extreme seasonal volatility driven by fashion cycles, promotional retail events like seasonal sales, and changing weather patterns. Early estimates are particularly prone to revision due to the rapid turnover of retail stock and complex adjustments for e-commerce transactions. Analysts should prioritise year-on-year comparisons to eliminate the powerful distortion caused by traditional shopping quarters, such as the winter holiday buying peak.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this series include clothing repair and rental costs?
- Yes, standard tailoring, dry-cleaning, and garment repair services are included alongside new apparel purchases.
- How do online purchases get captured in clothing expenditure?
- Retail turnover surveys and digital commerce returns ensure online orders delivered to domestic addresses are fully integrated.
- Why are consecutive quarterly comparisons unreliable for this series?
- Heavy discounting and synchronized holiday shopping create massive quarterly swings that obscure underlying consumption trends.