14 June 2006
Households Spending More on Culture
New Zealand households spent an average $37.70 per week on cultural goods and services in the year to June 2004,
Statistics New Zealand said today.
According to Household Spending on Culture: 2006, a new report released today, spending on cultural items increased
from $2.3 billion in the June 2001 year to $2.8 billion in the June 2004 year (after adjusting for inflation). Cultural
spending accounted for 4 percent of net household expenditure on all goods and services during the year to June 2004.
Cultural items covered in this report are based on the New Zealand Classification of Cultural Activities. They include,
for example, purchase of books, hiring of video and DVDs, purchase of audio-visual appliances (excluding telephones),
and donations to community organisations. Spending on the film and video category showed the largest increase between
the two periods.
In the year to June 2004, households spent the most ($12 per week) on the broadcasting category, which includes
audio-visual appliances and subscriptions to pay television. Other significant weekly spending was an average of $2.10
on magazines, $1.90 on newspapers, $2.50 on hire and purchase of DVDs and video tapes, and $2.00 on cinema tickets.
Households in the Auckland region reported the highest average weekly spending on cultural items ($46.50), while those
in the South Island spent $35.50. Household Spending on Culture: 2006 is one of a series of publications aimed at
improving the range and quality of information available on the cultural sector, and published jointly by Statistics NZ
and the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Information in the latest report comes mainly from the Household Economic
Survey for the year to June 2004. The full report is available on the Statistics New Zealand website
(www.stats.govt.nz).
Geoff Bascand
Acting Government Statistician
ENDS