ATLANTA — Beginning in October, U.S. Census Bureau field representatives will collect information about how much Americans spend for groceries, clothing, transportation, housing, health care and other items from a sample of households across the country.

     The Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) program consists of two parts:

• The Interview Survey — About 12,300 households will be interviewed once every three months over five calendar quarters to obtain data on relatively large expenditures and also for those expenditures that occur on a regular basis (such as rent and utilities).
• The Diary Survey — During the year, another 12,600 households will keep two consecutive one-week diaries of smaller, more frequent purchases that may be more difficult for respondents to recall later (such as a fast-food purchase at a drive-through window, a soda or candy bar from a vending machine, or a carton of eggs from the supermarket).

     The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics then publishes integrated data from the two surveys — providing a snapshot of our nation’s economy and spending habits. Government economists use the survey results to measure the average change over time in the prices paid for a “market basket” of goods and services to determine the Consumer Price Index (CPI), our nation’s most widely used measure of inflation.

     “Findings from the Consumer Expenditure Survey permit policymakers to assess the impact of governmental policy changes on spending patterns of different socioeconomic groups,” said George Grandy Jr., director of the Census Bureau’s Atlanta Regional Office. “These data also help business owners track consumer spending trends, so they can better respond to the needs of their customers.”

     Before the CE interviews begin, households will receive a letter from the Census Bureau director informing them of their selection to participate in the survey. Census Bureau field representatives will visit these households to conduct the interview. The field representative must display their official photo identification before proceeding with the interview. The law ensures survey respondents’ personal information and answers are kept confidential.

     The following data on the amount spent on health care are an example of CE results:

Household Expenditures for Health Care: 2004-2005