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Technical information:(202) 606-6900 USDL 93-479
Media contact: 606-5902 FOR RELEASE: 10:00 A.M. EST
Monday, Nov. 8, 1993
CONSUMER EXPENDITURES IN 1992
Average annual expenditures per consumer unit edged upward in 1992,
increasing less than 1 percent from 1991, according to results from the
Consumer Expenditure Survey released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S.
Department of Labor. Expenditures rose 4 percent in 1991 and 2 percent in
1990. General price levels, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI),
rose 3 percent from 1991 to 1992.
The percent changes in expenditures from 1991 to 1992 varied among the
major components of spending. Food expenditures showed no change; housing,
transportation, and entertainment rose about 2 percent; health care rose 5
percent; and apparel and services and personal insurance and pensions each
fell by 1 percent. Consumer Expenditure Survey data for 1990, 1991, and 1992
are shown in table 1.
Table 1. Annual expenditures of all consumer units and percent changes,
Consumer Expenditure Survey, 1990-92
Percent change
Item 1990 1991 1992 1990-91 1991-92
Number of consumer units 96,968 97,918 100,019
Income before taxes 1/ $31,889 $33,901 $33,854
Average age
of reference person 47.2 47.5 47.6
Average number in consumer unit:
Persons 2.6 2.6 2.5
Earners 1.4 1.4 1.3
Vehicles 2.0 2.0 1.9
Percent homeowner 62 63 61
Average annual
expenditures $28,369 $29,614 $29,846 4.4 0.8
Food 4,296 4,271 4,273 -0.6 0
Food at home 2,485 2,651 2,643 6.7 -.3
Food away from home 1,811 1,620 1,631 -10.5 .7
Housing 8,690 9,252 9,477 6.5 2.4
Apparel and services 1,617 1,735 1,710 7.3 -1.4
Transportation 5,122 5,151 5,228 0.6 1.5
Health care 1,480 1,554 1,634 5.0 5.1
Entertainment 1,422 1,472 1,500 3.5 1.9
Personal insurance
and pensions 2,592 2,787 2,750 7.5 -1.3
Other expenditures 3,149 3,392 3,274 7.7 -3.5
1/ Income values are derived from "complete income reporters" only.
The strength of the Consumer Expenditure Survey data is in the ability to
associate expenditures by consumers with the demographic characteristics of
those consumers. A soon-to-be-published report will include tables showing
the data classified by income quintile, income class, size of consumer unit,
number of earners, type of consumer unit, age of the reference person, region
of residence, housing tenure, race, type of area (urban-rural), and
occupation. These are standard classifications that have been published in
prior reports and bulletins. The report will be sent to all persons on the
Consumer Expenditure Survey mailing list.
There is an ongoing effort by BLS to provide as much reliable data from
the Consumer Expenditure Survey as is possible. An example of this effort can
be seen in the expanded income class table in the upcoming annual report.
Until now, the highest income class shown in published tables was $50,000 and
over. As consumer unit incomes have increased over time, the number of
consumers in the highest income class has reached the point where it is
sufficiently large to be divided into two new classes. Starting with the
upcoming report, the income class table will show upper classes of $50,000 to
$69,999 and $70,000 and over. Tables with an upper class of $50,000 and over
will be made available to users who wish to make comparisons with earlier
years.
The 1992 Diary and Interview microdata are now available on public use
tapes. These tapes are available for annual data back to 1980. The 1992 EXPN
public use tapes which include non-expenditure information and more detailed
expenditure records than are found on the Interview survey tapes will be
available in the near future. Tabulations of integrated data for 1992 with
more detail than is shown in this news release or in the annual report are
available.
For further information, contact the Division of Consumer Expenditure
Surveys, Office of Prices and Living Conditions, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2
Massachusetts Ave., NE., Washington, DC 20212-0001 or call 202-606-6900.