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Average annual household spending decreased from $51,442 in 2012 to $51,100 in 2013, a decline of 0.7 percent. This follows 2 years of increasing spending in 2011 and 2012.
Average annual expenditures of all consumer units, by category, 2010–2013
Category
Expenditures
Over-the-year percent change
2010
2011
2012
2013
2010–
2011
2011–
2012
2012–
2013
Total average annual expenditures
$48,109
$49,705
$51,442
$51,100
3.3
3.5
-0.7
Reading
100
115
109
102
15.0
-5.2
-6.4
Tobacco products and smoking supplies
362
351
332
330
-3.0
-5.4
-0.6
Alcoholic beverages
412
456
451
445
10.7
-1.1
-1.3
Personal care products and services
582
634
628
608
8.9
-0.9
-3.2
Miscellaneous
849
775
829
645
-8.7
7.0
-22.2
Education
1,074
1,051
1,207
1,138
-2.1
14.8
-5.7
Apparel and services
1,700
1,740
1,736
1,604
2.4
-0.2
-7.6
Cash contributions
1,633
1,721
1,913
1,834
5.4
11.2
-4.1
Entertainment
2,504
2,572
2,605
2,482
2.7
1.3
-4.7
Food away from home
2,505
2,620
2,678
2,625
4.6
2.2
-2.0
Healthcare
3,157
3,313
3,556
3,631
4.9
7.3
2.1
Food at home
3,624
3,838
3,921
3,977
5.9
2.2
1.4
Personal insurance and pensions
5,373
5,424
5,591
5,528
0.9
3.1
-1.1
Transportation
7,677
8,293
8,998
9,004
8.0
8.5
0.1
Housing
16,557
16,803
16,887
17,148
1.5
0.5
1.5
During 2013, changes in consumer spending varied among the seven largest categories. Spending increased in three categories: housing, transportation, and healthcare. It decreased in three: apparel and services, entertainment, and personal insurance and pensions. Spending on food did not change.
Spending on housing rose 1.5 percent to $17,148 in 2013. Spending on mortgage interest and charges for homeowners increased for the first time since 2007. However, homeowners spent less on interest and changes in 2013 than they did in 2007. This is probably the result of lower interest rates.
While transportation spending was about $9,000 in both 2012 to 2013, spending on gasoline decreased in 2013, the first decrease since 2009.
As a whole, food spending did not change from 2012 to 2013. Spending on food at home rose about $50, increasing from $3,921 to $3,977. Spending on food away from home was down by a similar amount, decreasing from $2,678 to $2,625.
United States Department of Labor
