ESTONIANS SPEND LESS ON FOOD

That number fell by more than 6 per cent in the last three years. In monetary terms, Estonians spend 747 kroons ($46.69) per month, said Liina Ernits, an expert with the institute. In the European Union, people spend 20 per cent on food per month, while that number is 12 per cent in the U.S., said Ernits. The importance of food in the total expenses shows the standard of living in any given country; if the number is smaller, the country is more developed. Lithuanians spent 48 per cent on food in 1998; Latvians spent 42 per cent.