The Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) program consists of two surveys, the Quarterly Interview Survey and the Diary Survey, that provide information on the buying habits of American consumers, including data on their expenditures, income, and consumer unit (families and single consumers) characteristics. The survey data are collected for the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The CE is important because it is the only Federal survey to provide information on the complete range of consumers' expenditures and incomes, as well as the characteristics of those consumers. It is used by economic policymakers examining the impact of policy changes on economic groups, by the Census Bureau as the source of thresholds for the Supplemental Poverty Measure, by businesses and academic researchers studying consumers' spending habits and trends, by other Federal agencies, and, perhaps most importantly, to regularly revise the Consumer Price Index market basket of goods and services and their relative importance.

The most recent data tables are for 2013, and were made available on September 9, 2014. See Featured CE Tables and Economic News Releases sections on the CE home page for current data tables and news release.

The 2013 public-use microdata is the most recent and was released on September 12, 2014.

Announcements

  • NEW Comparing global questions and answers to results from detailed specific questions: Data on food expenditures from the Consumer Expenditure Survey (PDF)
  • NEW 2013 Supplemental Poverty Measure Thresholds Based on Consumer Expenditure Survey Data (HTML)
  • NEW Standard Errors in the 2013 Consumer Expenditure Survey (PDF)
  • NEW USDA August 2014 Report on the Cost of Raising a Child, based on CE survey data (PDF)
  • Do different groups invest differently in higher education? (HTML) (PDF)

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Latest CE News Releases

Consumer Expenditures

September 09, 2014
Average expenditures per household in 2013 were $51,100, little changed from 2012 levels. In 2012 spending had increased 3.5 percent. Average income per consumer unit also edged down from 2012. More...
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CE Tables

Annual Calendar Year Tables

2013

CURRENT COMBINED EXPENDITURE, SHARE, AND STANDARD ERROR TABLES

  • Age of reference person — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Composition of consumer unit — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Highest education level of any member — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Higher income before taxes — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Hispanic or Latino origin of reference person — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Housing tenure and type of area — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Income before taxes — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Number of earners in consumer unit — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Occupation of reference person — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Population size of area of residence — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Quintiles of income before taxes — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Race of reference person — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Region of residence — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Size of consumer unit — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Selected age of reference person — (PDF) (XLSX)

Previous Years: 2012 to 2013 »


CURRENT AGGREGATE EXPENDITURE SHARES TABLES

  • Age of reference person — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Composition of consumer unit — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Highest education level of any member — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Higher income before taxes — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Hispanic or Latino origin of reference person — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Housing tenure and type of area — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Income before taxes — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Number of earners in consumer unit — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Occupation of reference person — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Quintiles of income before taxes — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Race of reference person — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Region of residence — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Size of consumer unit — (PDF) (XLSX)

Previous Years: 1989 to 2013 »

EXPENDITURE TABLES

The separate expenditure table format has been discontinued with the release of the 2012 data. Previous tables from 1972-73, and 1984 through 2011 are available at expenditure tables.
These separate data tables have been replaced by the combined expenditure, share, and standard error tables. The new table includes expenditure means, shares, and standard error data organized by various demographic characteristics.

Previous Years: 1972-73, 1984 to 2011 »

EXPENDITURE SHARES TABLES

The separate expenditure shares table format has been discontinued with the release of the 2012 data. Previous tables from 1989 through 2011 are available at expenditure shares tables.
These separate data tables have been replaced by the combined expenditure, share, and standard error tables. The new table includes expenditure means, shares, and standard error data organized by various demographic characteristics.

Previous Years: 1989 to 2011 »

STANDARD ERROR TABLES

The separate standard error table format has been discontinued with the release of the 2012 data. Discontinued tables from 2000 through 2011 are available at standard error tables.
These separate data tables have been replaced by the combined expenditure, share, and standard error tables. The new table includes expenditure means, shares, and standard error data organized by various demographic characteristics.

Previous Years: 2000 to 2011 »

2006 to 2012

MOST RECENT MULTIYEAR TABLE

  • 2006-2012 Multiyear table — (PDF) (XLS)

Previous Years: 1984 to 2012 »

Midyear Tables

July 2012 through June 2013

CURRENT COMBINED EXPENDITURE, SHARE, AND STANDARD ERROR TABLES

  • Age of reference person — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Composition of consumer unit — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Highest education level of any member — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Higher income before taxes — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Hispanic or Latino origin of reference person — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Housing tenure and type of area — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Income before taxes — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Number of earners in consumer unit — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Population size of area of residence — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Quintiles of income before taxes — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Race of reference person — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Region of residence — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Size of consumer unit — (PDF) (XLSX)
  • Selected age of reference person — (PDF) (XLSX)

Previous Years: July 2011 through June 2012 to July 2012 through June 2013 »


Additional CE Data Tables »

 

CE Microdata

CE Survey Forms

Current Survey Forms

All CE Survey Forms »

CE Publications

CE Frequently Asked Questions

People Are Asking...

  1. Does BLS have information about household spending on cell phone services?
  2. What is the most recent Consumer Expenditure Survey Annual Report?
  3. Does the CE have a glossary with definitions of survey terms, as well as descriptions of the types of items in the components of expenditures and income?
  4. How do I contact the CE group?
  5. Are CE standard error tables available?
  6. How do you use the standard errors in the CE?
  7. How does income imputation affect CE publications?

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is the Consumer Expenditure Survey?
  2. How is the Consumer Expenditure Survey used?
  3. What is a consumer unit?
  4. Who is the reference person?
  5. What types of data are available and in what form?
  6. What geographic areas are covered?
  7. Is income information available from other sources?
  8. Does the Consumer Expenditure Survey include information on assets and liabilities?
  9. Are historical data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey available?
  10. How are the Consumer Expenditure Survey data collected?

All CE FAQs »

CE Events in Your Area

CE is Coming to Your Town!

As part of ongoing outreach efforts, CE staff attend conferences outside the Washington, DC area when circumstances permit. You may be interested in attending their presentations, or in arranging for a CE staff member to visit your organization. To see a list of upcoming or past events, click on the links below.

CE Related Links

Other BLS Programs

  • Consumer Price Indexes --monthly data on changes in the prices paid by urban consumers for a representative basket of goods and services.
  • Price and Index Number Research experimental poverty measures -- CE data are used to estimate National Academy of Sciences (NAS) based poverty measures and a Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM)

Other Useful Links

Contact Us

Methods of Contact

The economists and administrative personnel of the Consumer Expenditure Survey staff are available Monday through Friday to respond to inquiries. Please use any of the methods below to contact the CE National Office. Inquiries should include your name, and phone number, fax number, mailing address, or e-mail address, along with a brief message.

Telephone
    (202) 691-6900

Incoming calls are connected to the office's voice mail and answered promptly.  

FAX
    (202) 691-7006
 

Mail
    Bureau of Labor Statistics
   Consumer Expenditure Surveys — Branch of Information and Analysis
    Postal Square Building, Room 3985
    2 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E.
    Washington, DC 20212-0001
 

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