German households spent 9.5 % of monthly consumption on leisure, sport and culture in 2024
German households spent on average 9.5 % of their monthly consumption on leisure, sport and culture in 2024, Destatis reported on Friday.
Source: Federal Statistical Office Germany · August 17, 2026 at 8:01 PM · AI-assisted report
Single-source
KUALA LUMPUR, 18 AUGUST 2026 —
German households spent on average 9.5 % of their monthly consumption on leisure, sport and culture in 2024, Destatis reported on Friday.
Market Impact
They allocated €309 of their €3,257 average monthly budget to the category, up from 8.6 % in 2022 when the same basket cost €245 of a €2,846 total.
Leisure, sport and culture includes sports and leisure goods, books, magazines, musical instruments, toys, hobby supplies, leisure and cultural services such as tickets or courses, garden products, pets and package holidays.
Housing, energy and home maintenance remained the largest spending category at 36.3 % of the total, followed by food at 14.0 % and transport at 13.8 %. Leisure, sport and culture was the fourth-largest, taking almost one in every ten euro.
The share rose with income: households earning less than €1,300 a month spent 5.7 % (€76 of €1,332) on leisure, sport and culture, while those earning €5,000 or more spent 10.7 % (€545 of €5,075).
Spending patterns also varied by household type. Single-person households allocated the smallest share at 8.3 % (€170 of €2,042), while couples without children spent the largest share at 10.1 % (€394 of €3,885). Lone-parent households spent 9.9 % (€276 of €2,790) and couples with children 9.8 % (€456 of €4,664).
Destatis said it is recruiting additional households for its 2026 Living Expenditure Survey (LWR). Participants will log income and spending for one month either via app or paper and receive a €90 honorarium. The survey now captures large purchases such as cars, furniture and major appliances retroactively for the first time.
Destatis conducts the LWR annually with a sample of 12,000 households. Results cover consumption but exclude insurance, transfers, loan repayments, interest, and investment in financial or tangible assets.