June 02, 2003 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Larger rise in spending on housing in 2001

Consumer spending on housing was up 5.6 percent in 2001, following an increase of 2.2 percent in the previous year. Households spent an average of $13,011 on housing in 2001, almost a third of total expenditures.

Percent change in expenditures on housing, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 1996-2001
[Chart data—TXT]

Increases in spending on shelter (6.9 percent) and on utilities, fuels, and public services (11.2 percent) were primarily responsible for the increase in overall housing expenditures, and offset decreases in spending on housefurnishings and equipment (-5.9 percent) and household operations (-1.2 percent).The large increase in spending for utilities, fuels, and public services was the result of increases in spending for electricity (10.7 percent), fuel oil (15.9 percent), and natural gas (33.6 percent).

These data come from the Consumer Expenditure Survey. Find out more in "Consumer Expenditures in 2001," (PDF 193 K), BLS Report 966.

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