Pensioner inflation over the past decade has been around 34 per cent, according to a new report.

The Clerical Medical Pensions Report states that pensioner inflation has soared within the last ten years, largely as a result of a 73 per cent increase in housing costs.

The study, part of a series of reports, states that housing costs now account for a quarter (25 per cent) of an average pensioner's expenditure (£55.79 a week), with the cost of other goods and services also rising.

Pensioner inflation over the past year has risen by around 3.9 per cent over the past year, the highest rise in a decade, as house prices and energy costs continue to increase rapidly. Housing costs now account for the same proportion of expenditure for pensioners as for all UK households.

The cost of council tax and repairs and maintenance have also rocketed over the past ten years, while significant inflation has been recorded on non-housing items such as alcoholic drinks and tobacco (42 per cent), recreation and culture (35 per cent) and personal goods & services (28 per cent).

British pensioners spend a larger proportion of their household budget on food (15 per cent compared with ten per cent for all UK households) and more cash each week on jewellery, toiletries, hairdressing, medicines and other healthcare costs. However, retired Britons spend less on clothes and footwear and transport.

Official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) exclude housing costs and so place pensioner inflation rates much lower.