Asisshowninthetableabove,dramaticchangeshavetakenplaceinfamilyexpensesintheCityofShanghaiwithintwodecades(from1980to2000).Themostobviouschangeisinexpenseonfoodandclothing,whichhasdroppedby48%,whilethoseonrecreation,educationandhealthcarehaveincreasedrespectivelyby5%,l6%andl0%.Expensesonotherthingskeeprisingfrom17%to35%.
Thestatisticsofriseandfallseemtoexistinisolationbutareinfactcloselyrelatedtooneanother.Themostlikelyfactorsaccountingforthesechangesareasfollows:
Developmentineconomyisthefundamentalone.Theincreasedincomeresultsintheloweringpercentageoffoodandclothing.Thatistosay,asmallpercentageofthetotalincomeisenou5htocoverfoodandclothingexpenses.
Anotherfactorliesinthedevelopmentofpeople’sconcept.Whenpeoplearewellfedandwelldressed,theybegintointerestthemselvesinrecreationandeducation.
Thesechangesshouldalsobeattributedtosocialreforms.Inthe1990’s,collegeeducationwasnottotallyfreeasitwasbefore,whichalsoaccountsfortherisingexpensesoneducation.Soonafter,thegovernmentgraduallystoppedofferinghousestoitscitizenswithoutcharges.Peoplehadtosavealargeproportionoftheirmoneyforhousing.That'spartlywhytheexpensesfor''others''doubled.