THE average British household continues to spend more than its income, new research shows.

In the year 2003 to 2004 the average British household spent '592 per week while the average gross household weekly income was just '570 per week.

The previous year the average weekly spend was '566 compared to a gross household average income of '552, the Office for National Statistics data reveals.

These spending figures include outgoings such as capital mortgage repayments, life assurance, income tax, national insurance, household improvements, savings, investments and second homes.

When these outgoings were excluded it brought the average weekly household to '418 per week in the year 2003 to 2004 up from '406 per week the previous year, according to the ONS Family Spending report.

Across all households the average amount spent on mortgages was '39 per week although this figure includes those with no mortgage at all to pay.

For those with mortgages, the average weekly cost was '97 rising 31% to '134 per week for households in London.

People living in the North East spend '58 per week on mortgages - 41% less than the national average.

The average net rent per household across the UK was '46 a week in 2003 to 2004, rising to '80 in the capital and '68 in the South East. This compared to '21 per week in the North East 54% less than the UK average.

Household-related costs such as mortgages, council tax, service charges, insurance and repairs comes to an average '116 per week - just under 20% of overall weekly household expenses.

Transport took up '60.70 of the average household's weekly spend, with the greatest slice of this going on the purchase of new vehicles.

Food

Food and non-alcoholic drinks accounted for '43.50, of which '36 was spent in large supermarket chains. Spending on alcoholic drinks, tobacco and narcotics came to '11.70.

Recreation and culture took up '57.30 of the average weekly household spend while an additional '34.90 went on restaurants and hotels.

UK households spent an average '22.70 per week on clothing and footwear, while the amount spent on household goods and services came to an average '31.30.

Communication - which includes mobile phones, landlines, answering machines and faxes - cost an average '11.20 per week.

Spending on education - including fees, school trips and other ad-hoc expenses - came to an average '5.20 per household per week.

Health, which included areas such as prescriptions, healthcare products and hospital services, cost UK households an average '5 per week.

The average weekly household expenditure was highest for households consisting of three or more adults with children at '686 per week.

Households with two adults and one child spent an average '531, rising to '611 for those with two children and '627 for three or more.

Around two thirds (64%) of households consisted of one or two people, while only 6% had five or more people in them.

Around 30% of households had children, half of which were made up of two adults and one or two children.

Three quarters of all households owned a car or van, with 31% owning two or more vehicles.

Between 2003 and 2004 a total of 7,048 UK households took part in the ONS research by keeping a two-week spending diary and taking part in interviews.

Households were classified in ten equal-sized income groups to aid the analysis. The group with the lowest income spent '140 per week compared to the '905 weekly spend for the highest.

The ONS data did not look at whether households were drawing on their savings to fund purchases.

The gross average household weekly income included money from wages, self-employment, investments, annuities, pensions, social security benefit excluding housing and council tax benefit, and "other sources".

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