Engel's law

proper noun

The relationship whereby, as family income increases, the percentage spent on food decreases, even though the total amount of food expenditure increases.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. economicsThe relationship whereby, as family income increases, the percentage spent on food decreases, even though the total amount of food expenditure increases.

Origin

Proposed by the statistician Ernst Engel in 1857.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Engel's law. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Engel's%20law

MLA

“Engel's law.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Engel's%20law. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Engel's law,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Engel's%20law.

Source: Engel's law on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.