Influence of Socio–Economic characteristics on Expenditures of Fashion Among Undergraduates in State Universities in Sri Lanka

Abstract

This research investigates the impact of socio-economic factors on the fashion expenditure of undergraduates in state universities in Sri Lanka. As fashion consumption has become increasingly important among youth, this study aims to identify how socio-economic factors such as gender, age, living location, fashion category, household income, availability of other income and social background affect spending behavior on fashion. Snowball sampling method was applied to collect data from 105 undergraduates in state universities in Sri Lanka in May 2025 using a structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed using SPSS software. Multiple linear regression analysis, frequency analysis and descriptives were conducted to determine the relationships and significant differences between variables. The multiple linear regression results revealed gender, living location, fashion category at 1% level and household income at 5% level, significantly influence fashion expenditure. The model showed an R² value of 0.795, indicating that 79.5% of the variation in fashion expenditure can be explained by the selected socio-economic variables. Other factors such as age and availability of other income and social background had non-significant effects on spending behavior. From all respondents 59% were female respondents and rest of other 41% of respondents are male. Descriptive analysis for the expenditure on fashion shows 10000 as the maximum value and the 2000 as the lowest value. These findings suggest that economic background and income sources play a significant role in shaping undergraduates’ fashion expenditure. Gender differences are also prominent, with female students showing higher engagement in fashion spending. The results are valuable for fashion retailers, student welfare planners, and policymakers to better understand the consumption behavior and financial priorities of young adults in higher education. Future studies could extend the scope by incorporating psychological or cultural factors to further analyze fashion consumption trends among Sri Lankan undergraduates.