Incidence of the Use of Credit

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INCIDENCE OF THE USE OF CREDIT

Question 1 . Are you getting any goods on easy payments?

In interpreting the following results it should be kept in mind that the interviewers found difficulties in asking this question, with a number of people, especially with the more respectable members of the C class. Among this group a feeling exists that it is “infra dig” to buy on a credit system, and therefore it was not always admitted in the first place. Usually the interviewer was able to overcome the resistance and to put the informant at her ease, but it is possible that in a number of cases the investigator did not manage to gain the confidence of the informant. Another reason why some women did not like to admit they were buying on credit was that some husbands forbade their wives to buy in this way and, although the wife might not have obeyed, she hesitated to admit it to a stranger.

It is impossible to estimate exactly to what extent the figures are biased because of this, and it is possible that the number of people who buy on credit is larger than the figures in this inquiry show.

Are you getting any goods on easy payments?

	No.	%
Yes	1158	37.6
No	1912	62.2
Not answered	6	0.2
TOTAL	3076	100.0

Class breakdown

CLASS C			CLASS D
	No.	%	No.	%
Yes	471	31.2 (± 2.4) x	670	43.8 (± 2.6)
No	1034	68.5 (± 2.4)	656	56.0(± 2.6)
Not answered	4	0.3	2	0.1
Total	1509	100.0	1528	99.9

x The figures represent the standard deviation as calculated after the formula

Class differences are significant; fewer of the C class buy on credit.

Age Breakdown

	20-30		31-50		Over 50
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
Yes	248	43.0 ± 4.2	638	42.3 ± 2.6	242	26.4 ± 2.9
No	325	56.3 ± 4.2	867	57.5 ± 2.6	674	73.6 ± 2.9
Not answered	4	0.7	2	0.1	-	-
TOTAL	577	100.0	1507	99.9	916	100.0

Older people buy less on credit than younger ones.

Occupational Breakdown(Husbands)

	SERVICES		HEAVY INDUSTRY		LIGHT INDUSTRY		NO HUSBAND		UNOCCUPIED
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
Yes	225	52.7 ± 4.8	391	41.5 ± 3.2	394	35.8 ± 3.2	127	26.6	54	26.0
No	201	47.1 ± 4.8	552	58.3 ± 3.2	707	64.6 ± 3.2	351	73.4	154	74.0
Not answered	1	0.2	1	0.2	5	0.4	-	-	-	-
TOTAL	427	100.0	944	100.0	829	100.0	478	100.0	208	100.0

Women whose husbands are in the services use credit systems to the greatest extent.

No. of children under 14

	No children under 14		1-2 children under 14		3-8 children under 14
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
Yes	436	27.2 ± 2.2	497	44.5 ± 3.0	223	62.6 ± 5.2
No	1163	72.5 ± 2.2	617	55.3 ± 3.0	131	36.8 ± 5.2
Not answered	5	0.3	2	0.2	2	0.6
TOTAL	1604	100.0	1116	100.0	356	100.

2 √p.q./N

Women with the greatest number of children under 14 use credit systems most.

Breakdown by Urban and Rural

	URBAN		RURAL
	No.	%	No.	%
Yes	973	38.7 ± 2.0	142	30.5 ± 4.3
No.	1535	61.1 ± 2.0	323	69.5 ± 4.2
Not answered	6	0.2	-	-
TOTAL	2514	100.0	465	100.0

Town people buy slightly more on credit.

Geographical Breakdown

	YES		NO		NOT ANSWERED		TOTAL
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
North-East	105	44.9 ± 6.6	129	55.1 ± 6.6	-	-	234	100.0
North Midlands	59	37.1 ± 7.7	100	62.9 ± 7.7	-	-	159	100.0
East-Midlands	65	40.1 ± 7.7	156	66.1 ± 6.2	1	0.4	236	100.0
East	79	33.5 ± 6.2	156	66.1 ± 6.2	1	0.4	236	100.0
London	739	34.8 ± 4.8	261	65.3 ± 4.8	-	-	400	100.0
South	106	32.9 ± 5.3	207	66.1 ± 5.3	-	-	313	100.0
South-West	79	35.6 ± 6.4	143	64.4 ± 6.4	-	-	222	100.0
Wales	70	43.5 ± 7.8	90	55.9 ± 7.8	1	0.6	161	100.0
Midland	75	23.6 ± 4.8	243	76.4 ± 4.8	-	-	318	100.0
North-West	208	43.9 ± 4.6	265	55.9 ± 4.6	1	0.2	474	100.0
Scotland	110	39.1 ± 5.8	168	59.8 ± 5.8	3	1.1	281	100.0
South-East	46	62.2 ± 11.3	28	37.8 ± 11.3	-	-	74	100.0

There are significant differences in buying on credit in the different regions. The Midlands buy least and the South-East most often in this way.

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