Toilet paper use is falling in Spain: an unlikely crisis indicator
Toilet paper consumption in Spain is falling: 106 kg per household per year. Crisis, immigration and wet wipes are the hypotheses behind the figure.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Do people poop less in a crisis? The fall in toilet paper consumption in Spain
What does toilet paper consumption actually measure? In Spain, the data show a sustained decline that has sparked interpretations of every kind. According to the available figures, the average household used to consume 106 kilos a year, equivalent to about 0.80 rolls per person per day. The drop has accelerated with the economic crisis, inviting the question of whether the traseril sphincter faithfully tracks GDP.
The economic hypotheses: less intake, less waste
The most straightforward explanation: when the economy contracts, people eat less and therefore defecate less. As one analyst quipped, "the contraction of the economy and the contraction of the backside are intimately linked." The fall in paper consumption coincided with the bursting of the housing bubble and rising unemployment. It is not far-fetched to think that tightening the grocery budget also affects the number of trips to the bathroom.
Demographics and habits: paper faces competition
Another school of thought points to structural changes: growing immigration from countries where water is used instead of paper lowers per capita consumption. In addition, wet wipes are gaining ground as a substitute, although their environmental impact is greater. Greater use of bidets or hygiene showers is also mentioned, as is the ageing of the population, which increases diaper consumption but not paper. "There are more and more Moors who wipe with their hand," sums up a widespread opinion, although the scientific literature prefers to speak of cultural diversity.
The statistic nobody expected: Catalans are the biggest savers
The original study noted that Catalonia led the way in toilet paper savings. Meanwhile, at the other extreme, the most optimistic estimates speak of a 10-15% reduction in total consumption since the pre-crisis years. Some see this as a symptom of "extreme penny-pinching"; others simply that the crisis squeezes even in the bathroom.
With these figures, the only thing that has not contracted is the ingenuity devoted to explaining the decline. Toilet paper has become an unusual barometer of economic health, and for now, the indicator remains in the red.
Related discussions in the forum
What does toilet paper consumption actually measure? In Spain, the data show a sustained decline that has sparked interpretations of every kind. According to the available figures, the average household used to consume 106 kilos a year, equivalent to about 0.80 rolls per person per day. The drop has accelerated with the economic crisis, inviting the question of whether the traseril sphincter faithfully tracks GDP.
The economic hypotheses: less intake, less waste
The most straightforward explanation: when the economy contracts, people eat less and therefore defecate less. As one analyst quipped, "the contraction of the economy and the contraction of the backside are intimately linked." The fall in paper consumption coincided with the bursting of the housing bubble and rising unemployment. It is not far-fetched to think that tightening the grocery budget also affects the number of trips to the bathroom.
Demographics and habits: paper faces competition
Another school of thought points to structural changes: growing immigration from countries where water is used instead of paper lowers per capita consumption. In addition, wet wipes are gaining ground as a substitute, although their environmental impact is greater. Greater use of bidets or hygiene showers is also mentioned, as is the ageing of the population, which increases diaper consumption but not paper. "There are more and more Moors who wipe with their hand," sums up a widespread opinion, although the scientific literature prefers to speak of cultural diversity.
The statistic nobody expected: Catalans are the biggest savers
The original study noted that Catalonia led the way in toilet paper savings. Meanwhile, at the other extreme, the most optimistic estimates speak of a 10-15% reduction in total consumption since the pre-crisis years. Some see this as a symptom of "extreme penny-pinching"; others simply that the crisis squeezes even in the bathroom.
With these figures, the only thing that has not contracted is the ingenuity devoted to explaining the decline. Toilet paper has become an unusual barometer of economic health, and for now, the indicator remains in the red.
Related discussions in the forum
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (64 replies).
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