This paper aims to take stock of the different conceptual elements of consumption as 
defined and applied in emerging and advanced countries, and data collection efforts 
based on household surveys. This work diverges from the Eurostat-OECD EG and other 
country-specific analyses that focus on consumption from a national accounts’ 
perspective (OECD 2024; Zwijnenburg et al. 2021). In doing so, we contribute to the 
discussion of how to guide statistical authorities in building a consumption-based 
economic well-being measure at the household level. The purpose of this paper is 
twofold: (1) to further clarify the conceptual framework for defining a comparable 
consumption-based well-being concept; and (2) to provide an empirical, descriptive, 
distributional analysis by consumption components and demographic groups across low, 
middle and high-income countries. This comparative work is based on nine country case 
studies: Mali, Laos, Palestine, Peru, Georgia, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and the 
United States (U.S.A.). We provide an update of Mancini and Vecchi (2023) concerning 
the aggregation plan and variable detail in a potential Luxembourg Consumption Study 
database. An empirical section first presents the core differences in the analyzed surveys 
and then provides a distributional analysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first 
joint analysis of consumption patterns across low, middle and high-income countries. We 
concluded that there are challenges concerning what to include or exclude in 
consumption, for example, with regard to semi-durables and major durables, minor 
versus major shelter repairs, and accounting for insurance. In addition, we discuss the 
major considerations as to whether health and education expenditures should be part of 
an economic well-being measure. We also find that data for own-produced goods for 
consumption are often collected for emerging economies, but they are systematically 
missing in expenditure surveys conducted by high-income countries. The importance of 
equivalence scales is discussed with reference to major differences in consumption 
inequality across countries. Finally, the decomposition of the Gini coefficient highlights 
how the structure of consumption and its impact on inequality shifts with economic 
development, with basic needs driving inequality in poorer countries and more diverse 
consumption patterns driving it in wealthier nations.

The paper is available upon request. Contact author is Thesia I. Garner (Garner.Thesia@bls.gov).

Disclaimer: This presentation provides a summary of research results. The information is 
being released for statistical purposes, to inform interested parties, and to encourage 
discussion of work in progress. The presentation does not represent an existing, or a 
forthcoming new, official BLS statistical data product or production series.

Notice: The conference presentation is available upon request. Contact author is Thesia I. Garner (Garner.Thesia@bls.gov).