A Brief Description of Consumption Structure

Consumption structure refers to the proportional relationship between various types of consumption goods (including services) consumed by the public (encompassing different types of consumers and social groups) under specific socio-economic conditions. It has two forms of expression: physical and value-based. The physical form indicates the types and quantities of consumption goods utilized by the public, while the value form represents the monetary proportion of different consumption goods in the consumption process. In real life, it manifests as various living expenses.

The study of consumption structure focuses on how residents' consumption patterns evolve with the growth of total expenditures. Although the term "consumption structure" is widely used, its precise definition remains debated in academia. Representative perspectives include:

1. The proportional relationship between different types of consumption goods in the public's consumption process;

2. The percentage share of various consumer goods and services in quantity, along with their interrelationships, such as complementarity and substitutability;

3. The proportion and relationship of different consumption goods (and services) within total consumption expenditure, shaped by the dynamics of supply and demand;

4. The sum of interrelations and quantitative ratios among social factors, natural factors, and their interactions in public consumption.

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While these views provide a foundation for in-depth research, they have limitations—such as narrowly defining consumption structure as a proportional relationship without capturing its essence or addressing the qualitative requirements and the balance between quality and quantity.

Consumption structure should integrate both quality and quantity:

• Qualitative aspects: Include the intrinsic quality of goods, the harmony among different consumption items, the consumption environment, and consumers' ability to derive satisfaction. It also reflects the comfort and convenience of the consumption process, as well as psychological and spiritual fulfillment.

• Quantitative aspects: Represent the unity of physical volume and monetary value across consumption categories.

From the perspective of qualitative and quantitative dimensions, consumption structure can be defined as:

The composition and degree of coordination among various consumption objects expended by the public in their living consumption process.