An analysis of the expenditure patterns of Jamaican households
1989
Banskota, K. | Booth, R.R. | Johnson, S.R. | Pryor, S. | Stampley, G.L.
The consumption patterns in Jamaica were analysed from the household expenditure surveys of 1975-1977. For Jamaican households, food constituted the largest share and declined with income. Investigations of the disaggregated food budget share revealed that meats, poultry and fish group was the most important. Starchy food budget share were found to be higher in rural areas. The total and food expenditure did not vary significantly over the survey period. Several Semilog Eugel Curves were estimated using the 1977 survey data. Eugel curves with demographic translating variables, age, and sex of the household head, location of the household and size were estimated for agricultural and non agricultural households. For the low income households, meats, poultry, fish and fruits and vegetables were luxuries. The scale elasticities estimated indicated the presence generally of economies. The scale economies/diseconomies estimated were fairly large in magnitude and perhaps a result of non accounting for the age - sex composition of the household members. There was a lower food demand (income elasticities) for non-agricultural households than agricultural households. The demographic, translating, variables were found to be more important in influencing expenditure decisions of non-agricultural households than agricultural households.
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