December 22, 2000 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Consumer expenditures rise 4.2 percent in 1999

Consumer units spent $37,027 on average in 1999, an increase of 4.2 percent over the previous year.

[Chart data—TXT]

The changes in expenditures from 1998 to 1999 varied among the major components of spending. Expenditures on food rose 4.6 percent in 1999 after showing little change a year earlier. Housing, the largest spending component, and health care each rose 2.9 percent in 1999. Spending on apparel and services and on entertainment rose 4.1 percent and 8.3 percent, respectively, following decreases in spending on both components the prior year. Transportation spending rose 6 percent, and personal insurance and pensions spending rose 1.6 percent.

These data come from the Consumer Expenditure Survey. Find out more in "Consumer Expenditures in 1999," USDL release 00-369.