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Consumer Expenditure Surveys
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The Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CE) program provides data on expenditures, income, and demographic characteristics of consumers in the United States. The CE program provides these data in tables, LABSTAT database, news releases, reports, and public use microdata files.
CE data are collected by the Census Bureau for BLS in two surveys: the Interview Survey for major and/or recurring items and the Diary Survey for more minor or frequently purchased items. CE data are primarily used to revise the relative importance of goods and services in the market basket of the Consumer Price Index. The CE is the only Federal household survey to provide information on the complete range of consumers' expenditures and incomes. Here is an overview of the CE program and its methods.
To be notified when new datasets become available, sign up for CE updates. The menu will prompt you to select Consumer Expenditures. If you have comments or questions about this page and its contents, contact us.
Notices
- The 2023 annual news release, tables, LABSTAT database, public use microdata and Data Quality Profile are now available. (9/25/2024) Read More »
- The BLS has expanded the CE LABSTAT database. (7/25/2024) Read More »
- Monthly Labor Review: Two hours to the office, two minutes to the kitchen table: trends in local public-transportation expenditures from 2018 to 2021 (6/11/24) Read More »
Most Requested Tables
News Releases
Consumer unit expenditures in 2023 are $77,280; a 5.9-percent increase from 2022
09/25/2024
Average expenditures for all consumer units in 2023 were $77,280, a 5.9-percent increase
from 2022, and average income before taxes increased 8.3 percent.
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Publications
The Economics Daily
Generation X outspent baby boomers in pet care services from 2018–21
According to the latest consumer expenditure data, spending on pet care services by baby boomers (people born from 1946 to 1964) was about the same in 2021 as it had been in 2017, increasing by 6.9 percent (about $4). More substantial shifts in spending came from Generation X (born from 1965 to 1980) and millennials (born from 1981 to 1996). read more »
Monthly Labor Review
Two hours to the office, two minutes to the kitchen table: trends in local public-transportation expenditures from 2018 to 2021
This article examines changes in spending on public transportation from January 2018 to December 2021. read more »
Beyond the Numbers
We love our pets, and our spending proves it
This Beyond the Numbers article uses data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditures Surveys (CE) to examine trends in pet spending from 2013 to 2021. It compares pet expenditures to other consumer expenditure trends. It further analyzes trends in components of pet expenditures, specifically pet food and pet purchase, supplies, and medicine, during the COVID-19 pandemic. read more »