The average figures mask huge disparities between regions and income groups. In London, the typical household spent 44% more each week than households in the north-east, largely because their mortgages cost an average of £208 a week, compared with just £114 in the north-east. Scottish households, many in deeply rural areas, spent most on cars, while Londoners spent the least. The Northern Irish spent the most on food, which the ONS put down to larger family sizes.

The figures give a fascinating breakdown of British spending priorities. We may be a nation of tea drinkers, but we spend more on coffee (80p a week) than on tea (50p). The average household spends £4 a week on wine for the home, more than twice the amount spent on beer (£1.70). Household in the south-east spend 75% more on wine than drinkers in the north-east.

More money is spent on the National Lottery and the bookies (£2.90 a week) than is spent on admissions to cinemas, theatres and museums (£2.80). But we spend more on memberships of gyms (£1.90 a week) than we spend on going to football matches or other sports events (70p).

Spending on recreation and culture jumped by 6.8% from £64.40 a week in 2013 to £68.80 in 2014. It has bucked the trend of falling spending elsewhere, rising from an inflation-adjusted £54.20 in the survey year ending March 2002.

The last 15 years have seen British households spending less and less on food, restaurants and “miscellaneous goods” but more on housing, fuel, power, recreation and culture. One of the biggest falls in spending has been on cigarettes, with the typical household now spending £3.40 a week. Only 800 of the 5,130 households in the survey bought any cigarettes.

The French may call the British les rosbifs, but the typical British household spends more on chicken than any other meat (£2.40 a week, compared with £2 on beef). We also spend far more on semi-skimmed milk (£1.70 a week) than on whole milk (40p), but they are both beaten by the amount we spend on chocolate each week (£1.90).

In total, British households spend the same amount each week on confectionary and ice cream as they do on fresh fruit.

Clothing spending shows the persistently large gap between men and women. While the typical household spends £431.60 a year on women’s outer garments, they spend just £260 on men’s outer garments. Women spend £52 a year on knickers, but men spend just £26 a year on pants.

In total, British households spend the same amount each week on confectionary and ice cream as they do on fresh fruit.