Q. Compared to two or three years ago is your household paying more or less for the following –
| Paying a lot more | Paying a little more | Paying about the same | Paying a little less | Paying a lot less | Don’t know | Feb 2013
Paying a lot more |
Mar 2014
Paying a lot more |
Feb 2016
Paying a lot more |
||
| Electricity and gas | 59% | 25% | 12% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 70% | 62% | 34% | |
| Insurance | 31% | 38% | 21% | 3% | 1% | 7% | 43% | 36% | 24% | |
| Medical, dental | 30% | 33% | 31% | 2% | 1% | 3% | 33% | 32% | 23% | |
| Fresh food – fruit, vegetables, meat | 29% | 40% | 26% | 2% | <1% | 2% | 36% | 36% | 25% | |
| Petrol | 27% | 32% | 26% | 6% | 2% | 6% | 50% | 56% | 19% | |
| Water | 26% | 39% | 26% | 2% | 1% | 7% | 47% | 40% | 13% | |
| Housing – mortgage or rent | 23% | 25% | 33% | 5% | 3% | 10% | 24% | 24% | 14% | |
| Packaged food | 21% | 38% | 34% | 3% | 1% | 4% | 28% | 26% | 15% | |
| Education | 18% | 20% | 28% | 3% | 4% | 27% | 24% | 21% | 16% | |
| Clothing | 14% | 30% | 44% | 8% | 2% | 3% | 21% | 17% | 13% |
Items which respondents said they were “paying a lot more” for were electricity and gas (59%), insurance (31%) and medical/dental (30%).
Since this question was asked in February last year, for all items, the perceptions of paying a lot more have increased substantially. However, these results are similar on most items to the surveys of 2013 and 2014.