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TEXT Technical information:(202) 606-6900 Media contact: 606-5902 USDL-94-546 FOR RELEASE: 10:00 A.M. EST Monday, Nov. 7, 1994 CONSUMER EXPENDITURES IN 1993 Average annual expenditures per consumer unit continued to rise at a moderate rate, increasing about 3 percent from 1992 to 1993, according to results from the Consumer Expenditure Survey released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Expenditures had risen about 1 percent in 1992 and 4 percent in 1991. The increase in expenditures from 1992 to 1993 matched the increase in general price levels, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The percent changes in expenditures from 1992 to 1993 varied among the major components of spending. The largest increases were for health care and entertainment which rose by 9 percent and 8 percent, respectively. Food expenditures rose 3 percent, and housing rose 2 percent. Expenditures on apparel and services declined by 2 percent over the period. Consumer Expenditure Survey data for 1991, 1992, and 1993 are shown below. Annual expenditures of all consumer units and percent changes, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 1991-93 Percent change Item 1991 1992 1993 1991-92 1992-93 Number of consumer units Income before taxes(1) Average age of reference person Average number in consumer unit: Persons Earners Vehicles Percent homeowner 97,918 $33,901 47.5 100,019 $33,854 47.6 100,049 $34,868 47.8 2.6 1.4 2.0 63 2.5 1.3 1.9 61 2.5 1.3 1.9 63 Average annual expenditures Food Food at home Food away from home Housing Apparel and services Transportation Health care Entertainment Personal insurance and pensions Other expenditures $29,614 $29,846 $30,692 0.8 2.8 4,271 2,651 1,620 9,252 1,735 5,151 1,554 1,472 2,787 4,273 2,643 1,631 9,477 1,710 5,228 1,634 1,500 2,750 4,399 2,735 1,664 9,636 1,676 5,453 1,776 1,626 2,908 0 -.3 .7 2.4 -1.4 1.5 5.1 1.9 -1.3 2.9 3.5 2.0 1.7 -2.0 4.3 8.7 8.4 5.7 3,392 3,274 3,218 -3.5 -1.7 (1) Income values are derived from "complete income reporters" only. The strength of the Consumer Expenditure Survey data is 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. Bulletins that include integrated Consumer Expenditure Survey data are published at 2-year intervals. The next bulletin will include CE Survey data for 1992 and 1993 and is scheduled for publication in spring 1995. It will include tables of average annual expenditures, income, and characteristics for the same classifications that are shown in the annual report but with additional detail. Also included are tables showing average annual data over a 2-year period for the following characteristics: Income before taxes cross-tabulated by either age, consumer unit size, or region; single consumers by gender cross-tabulated by either income or age; and selected Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). The bulletins also include analyses of expenditure data as they apply to various topics of interest. The same tables that will be included in the bulletin will be available on diskette prior to the publication of the bulletin. The data on diskette will be available in late November. The 1993 Diary and Interview microdata are now available on public use tapes. These tapes are available for annual data back to 1980. The 1993 EXPN public use tapes which include nonexpenditure 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 1993 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. Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-606-7828, TDD phone: 202-606-5897, TDD message referral phone number: 1-800326-2577.