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8 Examples of Necessity Goods

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Necessity goods are the last things that customers stop buying when their income declines. Conversely, an individual devotes a lower percentage of their spending to necessity goods as income rises. The following are illustrative examples of a necessity good.

Food

Staple foods and beverages such as bread and coffee.

Utilities

Utilities such as power and water.

Communications

Communications such as internet and mobile phone connectivity.

Housing

Housing costs such as rent. For example, a middle income individual might spend 50% of their after tax earnings on rent. As their income rises, this percentage will tend to decline.

Transportation

Basic forms of transportation such as public transportation or a bicycle.

Medicine

Medical costs such as prescription drugs.

Education

Education may represent an large investment for middle income earners that declines as a percentage of spending as they earn more.

Services

Services such as day-care.

Notes

Demand for necessity goods often doesn't decline much during a recession. In theory, demand for necessities can increase in a recession as customers drop luxuries for more basic substitutes.
Necessity goods are excluded from taxation in many nations. In this context, definitions of what is an isn't a necessity can be quite complex.
Overview: Necessity Goods
Type
Definition (1)
A good that demonstrates nominal increases in demand as income rises that represents a smaller percentage of total spend.
Definition (2)
The last goods that people stop buying when income declines.
Related Concepts

Goods

This is the complete list of articles we have written about goods.
Brown Goods
Business Goods
Capital Goods
Club Goods
Commodities
Common Goods
Common Resources
Complementary Goods
Consumer Discretionary
Consumer Durables
Consumer Goods
Consumer Products
Consumer Staples
Digital Goods
Durable Goods
Economic Goods
Experience Goods
Fashion Goods
Final Goods
Finished Goods
FMCG
Goods & Services
Inferior Good
Information Good
Intangible Goods
Intermediate Goods
Knowledge Product
Luxury Goods
Merit Good
Natural Resources
Necessity Goods
Perfect Substitute
Public Goods
Search Good
Social Goods
Soft Goods
Sporting Goods
Substitute Good
Superior Goods
Supplies
Unsought Goods
Veblen Goods
Virtual Goods
White Goods
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Goods

The common types of goods.

Substitute Good

The definition of substitute good with examples.

Economic Bad

Common examples of an economic bad.

Information Good

The definition of information good with examples.

Knowledge Product

The definition of knowledge product with examples.

Common Goods

The definition of common goods with examples.

Merit Goods

The definition of merit good with examples.

Intangible Goods

The definition of intangible good with examples.

Consumerization

The definition of consumerization with examples.

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Economic Advantage

A list of economic positions or capabilities that allow you to outperform in a particular industry.

Knowledge Work

A definition of knowledge work with examples.

Production

A definition of production with examples.

Post Scarcity

An overview of post-scarcity.

Economic Infrastructure

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Business Competition

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Inefficiency

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Supply Examples

An overview of supply with common examples.
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