Housing-related costs average £143 per week

UK households spent an average of £143 a week on housing-related costs in 2006, according to analysis in Family Spending, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The ONS calculation is based on a comprehensive definition of housing and its related costs and includes £52 a week spent on mortgages, £24 on council tax, water charges and other local taxes and service charges, £23 on housing alterations and improvements and £17 on rent, net of rebates and benefits.

Among households paying rent, the average rent, net of rebates and benefits, for the United Kingdom was £60 a week. The average for London was highest at £94, and the average for Scotland was lowest at £30.

For households with mortgages, the average weekly cost was £132 and households in the South East, London and the East of England spent more than the UK average. Households in London spent the most, £174 a week on average, while households in Northern Ireland spent the least, at £96 a week.

The comprehensive definition of housing expenditure, used in the housing chapter of Family Spending and which gives an average of £143 a week for each household, is drawn from three elements of housing costs:

1) Those included within the Classification Of Individual COnsumption by Purpose (COICOP) - the internationally agreed classification for National Accounts purposes used in most of Family Spending. It covers net rent; household maintenance and repair; water and other service charges, household insurances and moving costs. On this definition, average expenditure by UK households was £40 a week.

2) In addition to the housing items included in the COICOP classification, the Family Spending report includes an 'other expenditure items' category. This includes mortgage interest payments; mortgage protection premiums; council tax; domestic rates for only or main residence; council tax; mortgage and insurance for second dwelling.

Under the combined COICOP and the 'other expenditure items' definition, households spent £52 a week on average. These are the housing costs that are included in the average total household expenditure for 2006 of £456 a week.

3) In addition to the items covered above, it includes housing alterations and improvements; capital repayment of mortgages; purchase of a second dwelling; moving house; the outright purchase of dwellings and deposits for that purpose. Households spent £52 a week on average on these.