CONSUMER EXPENDITURES--2018

"Average expenditures per consumer unit(1) for 2018 were $61,224, a 1.9-percent increase from 2017 levels, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. During the same period the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) rose 2.4 percent and average pretax income increased by 6.9 percent.

Nine of the 10 largest components of household spending increased during 2018.(See table A.) The 7.8-percent rise in personal insurance and pensions expenditures was the largest percentage increase among all major components, followed by a 2.5-percent rise in food. The only decrease among the largest components was a 5.6-percent drop in education spending..."
Consumer spending

Consumer Expenditures Midyear Update: July 2017- June 2018

"Average expenditures per consumer unit(1) for July 2017 through June 2018 were up 4.0 percent compared with the July

2016 through June 2017 midyear average, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. During the same period, 
the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) rose 2.3 percent, and average pretax incomes increased 4.3 percent.


Table A. Average expenditures and income of all consumer units
_____________________________________________________________________________
                                                           Percent change      
                             July 2016-    July 2017-   July 2016 - June 2017
Item                         June 2017     June 2018            to
                              Average       Average     July 2017 - June 2018
---------------------------------------    ----------   ---------------------
Income before taxes            $73,207      $76,335              4.3
Average annual expenditures     58,460       60,815              4.0
  Food                           7,407        7,869              6.2
   Food at home                  4,121        4,445              7.9
   Food away from home           3,286        3,424              4.2
  Housing                       19,325       20,001              3.5
  Apparel and services           1,771        1,850              4.5
  Transportation                 9,252        9,735              5.2
  Healthcare                     4,710        4,924              4.5
  Entertainment                  2,941        3,379             14.9
  Education    1,372        1,505       9.7
  Cash contributions             2,088        1,840            -11.9
  Personal insurance and         6,938        6,904             -0.5
   pensions                                                  
   Pensions and Social           6,554        6,474             -1.2
   Security                   
  All other expenditures         2,655        2,808              5.8
____________________________________________________________________________
"

Consumer spending

Who Wants to Know? Consumer Expenditures

"How much did you spend on ice cream last year? If you read my recent blog post, you’ll know the average household spends $54.04 each year. Last week I explained why that information matters to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and to the researchers, business owners, lawmakers and many others who use our data every day. Today I’d like to take another dive into some of the data we collect.

The BLS Consumer Expenditure Interview and Diary surveys ask lots of questions about households’ spending and the characteristics of all the family members, and then publishes updated tables every six months. Why does BLS collect so much information, and who uses it?

Let’s take a look at some of the questions the surveys ask (and if you’re thinking that some of these questions sound a little personal, you’ll be glad to know that all the answers are kept completely confidential)..."

Consumer Expenditures

A comparison of 25 years of consumer expenditures by homeowners and renters

"Between 1986 and 2010, homeowners and renters dramatically changed their spending habits in response to changes in the economy, although the amount they spent on overall expenditures remained roughly the same. A comparison of spending by homeowners and renters in the major expenditure categories shows many differences, but one thing remains constant: housing is the largest expenditure for U.S. consumers..."
A comparison of 25 years of consumer expenditures by homeowners and renters

CONSUMER EXPENDITURES--2010

"Average annual expenditures per consumer unit(1) fell 2.0 percent in 2010
following a decrease of 2.8 percent in 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics reported today. While spending fell in 2010, prices for goods and
services increased 1.6 percent from 2009 to 2010, as measured by the average
annual change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). This was the second
consecutive year that there has been a drop in spending. The 2010 level of
average annual expenditures, $48,109, was lower than the 2006 amount of
$48,398..."

CONSUMER EXPENDITURES--2009
"Average annual expenditures per consumer unit(1) fell 2.8 percent in 2009
following an increase of 1.7 percent in 2008, according to results from the
Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics. The spending decrease was larger than the 0.4-percent decrease in
prices from 2008 to 2009 as measured by the average annual change in the
Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). This was the first time there has been a drop in
spending from the previous year since the CE began publishing integrated data
in 1984 from the Diary and Interview components of the CE.

Spending on housing and transportation fell 1.3 percent and 11.0 percent,
respectively, contributing to the overall drop in spending in 2009. Healthcare
expenditures rose 5.0 percent, the only increase among the major components of
spending. Among the other major components, food dropped 1.1 percent, apparel
fell 4.2 percent, entertainment dropped 5.0 percent, and personal insurance
and pensions fell 2.4 percent."