Consumer Expenditure in Interwar Belgium: The Reconstruction of a Database

Overview

This study presents a large database which enables a new and detailed analysis of consumer behaviour in Belgium between 1920 and 1939. Based on an enormous variety of sources it reconstructs in detail how much was spent annually on food, beverages, tobacco, clothing, rent, etc. These data were calculated according to the methods applied by the Belgian National Institute for Statistics in their post world war two national accounts. The data are presented in both current and constant prices. For all categories comparisons were made with the developments in Britain and the Netherlands.