Why should I participate?

You may be wondering why you should participate in the Consumer Expenditure Survey, or be curious about what is in it for you!

We understand that your time is valuable, and you may not want to spend it answering questions for a survey. It’s important that you understand how important your participation in the Consumer Expenditure Survey is and how it affects you, your community, and your country.

Your input is very important. How important? Your address, chosen randomly to participate, actually represents as many as 15,000 other households.

By participating, you make sure that the Consumer Expenditure Survey represents all Americans. The information you provide is your voice in the statistics that are used to evaluate and guide the actions of the Federal Government. By performing this public service you are helping your community, your region, and the Nation. Are you spending more on gasoline or less at restaurants? How much do you spend on travel or school tuition? Your responses are used to give a clear picture of spending trends in America. In return, you can see from the published tables how the average spending compares with your own spending.

How are the Consumer Expenditure Survey Data Used?

The information you provide for the Consumer Expenditure Survey is used in a variety of important ways. You can learn more about how it is used for the Consumer Price Index (CPI), one of most important economic statistics, and read about other ways the data are used. We also have published data available.

If you have questions about how BLS uses the CE data, you can contact the CE at (202) 691-6900 or by email.

To help protect your privacy and ensure confidentiality; please do not identify yourself to BLS as being a respondent in the CE survey.

Last Modified Date: April 7, 2011/p>