UK household spending: miscellaneous goods, services
UK household spending: miscellaneous goods, services stood at £56,403m 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 | |||||||||||
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 56,403 | 56,181 | 55,385 | 55,002 | 54,811 | 54,568 | 54,735 | 53,732 | 52,435 | 53,273 | |
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | 41,321 | 41,037 | 40,707 | 40,497 | 39,961 | 39,195 | 38,606 | 38,292 | 35,443 | 35,379 |
Understanding UK household spending: miscellaneous goods, services
Financial outlays channeled into miscellaneous goods and services quantify total consumer expenditure across the United Kingdom covering personal care, insurance products, financial services, and social protection fees that do not fit into other dedicated COICOP divisions. Unlike specialised sibling rows that isolate housing or transport, this category acts as a residual capture for administrative fees, legal services, and personal effects. The series tracks nominal flows in GBP million, reflecting both transactional volume shifts and price movements without removing the direct effects of inflation.
Interpreting these figures requires careful attention to the heavy administrative revisions that often accompany annual balance-of-payments updates and supplier surveys. Seasonal peaks regularly occur during specific quarters when insurance policies renew or professional fees fall due, making a period-on-period comparison potentially misleading unless seasonally adjusted series are consulted. Analysts should avoid equating shifts in this nominal metric with pure physical volume changes, as fee adjustments and regulatory pricing reforms heavily influence the trajectory relative to chained-volume measures elsewhere in the national accounts.
Frequently asked questions
- What types of consumer expenses are classified under miscellaneous goods and services?
- This category covers personal care items, personal effects, insurance premiums, financial advisory fees, and various social protection payments across the United Kingdom.
- Why is this series measured in current prices rather than chained volumes?
- This row records nominal financial flows in GBP million, capturing direct cash outlays before applying price deflators to separate volume changes from inflation.
- How frequently do revisions affect historical estimates in this category?
- Early quarterly estimates are subject to routine revisions as updated administrative datasets and annual industry surveys replace initial preliminary responses.