Survey dataset on the level of sustainable consumption of Malaysian households from the perspective of income and consumption expenditure

Unsustainable consumption promotes discouraging patterns of consumption with negative impacts on society. It also contributes to inequalities and poverty. Unsustainable patterns of production and consumption undermine development goals in terms of inefficiency and overconsumption. This research explores the level of sustainable consumption of Malaysian households from the perspective of income and consumption expenditure. The analysis is based on cross-sectional data obtained from questionnaires distributed to 635 Malaysian households in eight districts in Terengganu (urban and rural areas) using stratified random sampling. The findings show that the level of sustainable consumption expenditure of Muslim households in Terengganu is still low. Achieving sustainable consumption patterns is more technically and politically complex than changing production patterns because it raises important issues such as human values, equity and lifestyle choices.