…the Office of National Statistics, which just issued a press release entitled "Confectionery still a children’s favourite". Stone the crows! Children still like sweets! Who would have thought it?
Sorry ONS, but really. Perhaps the headline was deliberately silly to encourage us hacks to read it. It worked, and in fact the latest news from the national bean counters is quite interesting.
A typical child, aged 7-15, spends about £13 per week. I’m assuming that excludes how much parents spend on their children each week. The four categories that children spent most money on were "confectionery, snacks and drinks"; "other food purchases"; "clothing and footwear" and "games, toys, hobbies and pets".
You can use the statistics as a benchmark for setting your child’s pocket money, if you like: children aged 13-15 spent the most per week (£20) while children aged 10-12 spent £11 per week and those aged 7-9 spent £7.
Of interest to the mobile operators and content providers – girls aged 13-15 spent £1.50 per week on their mobile phones, nearly twice as much as boys. I’m guessing that’s largely spent on text messages, as you can’t have a very long chat on a mobile for £1.50, even if you only make one call a week. Besides, it’s difficult to talk when stuffing your face with sweets and snacks. Apparently, confectionery is still a children’s favourite, don’t you know.
