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An International Comparison of Household Expenditure Patterns, Commemorating the Centenary of Engel's Law

H. S. Houthakker

Abstract

A comparison of elasticities for food, clothing, housing, and miscellaneous items with respect to total expenditure and family size, based on regression analyses of about 40 surveys from about 30 countries. The elasticities are found to be similar but not equal. Engel's law, formulated in 1857, is confirmed by all surveys.