Consumption in large households

Purpose:The aim of the article is to identify the level and structure of consumption in Polish households with at least three dependent children and to divide them into groups according to consumption patterns and, on this basis, to assess their standard of living.Design/methodology/approach: The CSO database was used to examine the consumption patterns of large households.Households were divided into three groups using the Ward cluster method.Findings: Households with many children are in the most difficult financial situation.Identified consumption patterns are: Cluster I: the lowest standard of living due to limited income, low propensity to consume and focus on basic needs; cluster II: the highest standard of living thanks to high income, high flexibility in spending and better development opportunities; Cluster III is characterized by an average standard of living, but with financial challenges related to the high costs of housing.Research limitations/implications: A limitation of the research process is the exclusion of clusters containing a small number of cases, which may lead to the loss of potentially valuable information.In the future, it may be possible to examine how consumption is shaped in large households of biologically incomplete families.Practical implications: The clusters created may constitute market segments for entrepreneurs.For cluster I, they should target inexpensive, basic products, especially in the food and nonalcoholic beverage categories; for cluster II -luxury goods and offers related to recreation and culture, for cluster III -products and services related to the use of housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels.Social implications: Households from cluster I should be the object of interest of social welfare units.Policies should focus on improving access to education, nutritional support and programs that equalize children's development opportunities.Originality/value: The article conducted new research presenting the difficult financial situation of large households and their consumption patterns.It is of value to social policy and entrepreneurs.Policies should focus on improving the living standards of the households discussed in the article.In turn, entrepreneurs can create products and services tailored to the specific needs of specific consumer groups that have been identified.