December 24, 1998 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)
Consumer expenditures rise 3.0
percent in 1997
Average annual expenditures per consumer unit rose at a
moderate rate of 3.0 percent in 1997. This followed an increase of 4.8 percent in 1996.
The increase in expenditures from 1996 to 1997 was slightly larger than the 2.3 percent
rise in the annual average Consumer Price Index (CPI).
![Consumer expenditures, 1996-97](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20120921214344im_/http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/images/1998/Dec/wk4/art04.gif)
[Chart data—TXT]
The highest percent increases in expenditures were reported in personal insurance and
pensions (5.3 percent) and in housing (4.9 percent). Spending on health care increased 4
percent, while the 2.2 percent increase in food spending was largely driven by spending on
food away from home.
Only two major components of spending reported decreases in 1997 — apparel and
services (-1.3 percent) and entertainment (-1.1 percent). Entertainment expenditures had
increased by 13.8 percent in 1996.
These data are a product of the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey. Additional information
on 1997 expenditures may be found in news release USDL 98-482, "Consumer
Expenditures in 1997."
Of interest
Spotlight on Statistics: National Hispanic Heritage Month
In this Spotlight, we take a look at the Hispanic labor force—including labor force participation, employment and unemployment, educational attainment, geographic location, country of birth, earnings, consumer expenditures, time use, workplace injuries, and employment projections.
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